LIBRARY   OF 

HENRY  C.  FALL  —  K 
AND  KATHARINE  A. 

dumber     <JM_&   ~~~~ 

FALL 

Date  of  Purchase 

Place              '&_  £?b_~! 

Cost                                                               3\- 

3T0RIES 


OF 


MANY  bANBS. 


BOOK     KOR     YOUXO     PEOPLE. 


With  Three  Hundred  arid  Forty  Illustrations. 


BOSTON  : 

goard  0{  Commissioners  )[or  ^oreip  Pissions. 
i   SOMERSET  STREET. 
1885. 


Copyright,  1885,  by 
AMERICAN  BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS  FOR  FOREIGN  MISSIONS, 


PRESS  OF 

STANLEY  AND  USHER, 
BOSTON,  MASS. 


PREFACE. 


THE  Missionary  Herald,  published  by  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions, 
has  given  in  each  monthly  issue,  since  the  present  editor  assumed  the  charge,  in 
1879,  a  brief  illustrated  article  designed  not  so  much  for  young  children  as  for 
those  of  larger  growth,  who  may  yet  properly  be  called  young  people.  This  class 
naturally  demands  something  above  the  grade  of  a  child's  paper,  while  not  yet 
quite  prepared  for  the  articles  that  would  meet  the  wants  of  adults.  During  the 
six  years  since  it  was  begun  it  has  been  made  clear  that  this  department  "  For 
Young  People"  in  the  Missionary  Herald  has  met  a  real  want.  We  have  occasion 
to  know  that  these  articles  are  widely  read.  Many  of  them  have  been  copied  into 
the  magazines  and  religious  papers  of  our  own  land  and  of  Great  Britain,  and 
repeated  requests  have  been  received  that  they  be  republished  in  a  more  permanent 
form.  It  has  been  urged  that  nothing  could  be  more  suitable  for  Sunday-school 
libraries  or  the  home-table  or  for  use  by  Mission  Circles  and  Young  People's  Societies 
of  Christian  Endeavor. 

In  reissuing  these  stories  it  has  seemed  best,  while  revising  the  statements  of 
facts  so  as  to  bring  them  down  to  date,  not  to  omit  or  to  alter  materially  certain 
articles  which  were  written  while  events,  now  long  past,  were  transpiring.  Of 
this  class  we  may  mention  some  of  the  papers  about  Africa,  and  especially  the 
reports  sent  year  by  year  from  the  Morning  Star,  describing  the  successive  voyages 
of  the  children's  missionary  vessel.  In  these  cases  the  year  in  which  the  article 
was  originally  printed  is  given  at  its  heading. 

To  all  people  who  count  themselves  young,  among  whom  we  chance  to  know  many 
whose  heads  are  now  white  as  snow,  these  accounts  of  pagan  lands  and  of  self-denying 
men  and  women  are  offered,  with  the  prayer  and  the  hope  that  these  stories  may 
kindle  and  confirm  in  them  true  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  world  to  Christ. 
"  Some  can  go.  Most  can  give.  All  can  pray." 

THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  Missionary  Herald. 

MISSIONARY  ROOMS,  CONGREGATIONAL  HOUSE, 
Boston,  October,  1885. 


2051034 


The  Loss  of  the  Hiram  Ring-ham  I]L 

Dismay  struck  many  readers  of  The  Con- 
gregatioiialist  on  seeing  an  item  in  last 
week's  paper  stating  that  the  beautiful  little 


rejoicing.  One  bunday  school  in  Arizona  or 
eighty  members,  the  majority  of  whom  had 
never  seen  any  kind  of  a  nautical  craft,  took 


schooner,  Hiram  Bingham  II.,  had  capsized     350  shares.     Another  contribution  was  from 


in    Micronesiau    waters    and    that   its   noble 


CAPTAIN    WALKUP 

captain.  Rev.  A.  C.  Walkup,  was  drowned. 
A  brief  cable  message  from  Sydney,  New 
South  Wales,  is  all  we  know  as  yet  about 
the  disaster,  which  may  have  occurred  weeks 
ago.  The  vessel  was  peculiarly  ours,  most 
of  the  stockholders  being  children  from  Con- 


a school  in  Bailundu,  West  Central  Africa, 
among  whose  pupils  were  twenty-four  who 
walked  every  Sunday  from  a  village  eight 
miles  distant. 

When  ready  for  sea  the  public  was  invited 
on  board,  and  there  were  three  gala  days 
on  No.  5  in  Boston  Harbor.  The  juvenile 
shareholders,  in  particular,  roamed  over  their 
ship,  proud  to  possess  even  a  ten-cent  share 
in  a  vessel  bound  on  such  a  glorious  cruise. 
A  few  days  later,  June  4,  1904,  a  tender 
farewell  service  was  held  on  deck.  Who  of 
that  little  company  will  ever  forget  the 
scene?  It  was  a  singular  and  delightful 
providence  that  Dr.  Hiram  Bingham  was 
present  and  offered  prayer.  Forty-eight 
years  earlier  he  and  his  wife  had  sailed  from 
the  same  port  on  the  first  Morning  Star,  for 
what  was  then  called  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
No.  5  was  in  commission  only  a  short  time. 
Being  a  steamer  the  cost  of  maintenance  was 
too  great,  so  it  was  sold  and  a  new  boat 
built  which  had  only  auxiliary  steam  power. 
This  was  fittingly  called  Hiram  Bingham  and 
did  good  service  until  last  year.  The  dan- 
gerous coral  reefs  of  tropical  islands  soon 
wear  a  vessel  out,  and  only  a  skillful  navi- 
gator can  avoid  shipwreck  upon  them.  This 
explains  why  after  so  short  a  time  the  call 
came  for  a  second  Hiram  Bingham. 

For  nearly  twenty  years  Captain  Walkup 
had  cruised  safely  among  these  islands  in 
mid-Pacific.  Never  had  he  started  out  in 


gregational    Sunday    schools,    though    a    few     bigher  sPirits  than  when  be  sailed  from  Hon- 
elderly  people  who' bought  shares  in  the  first     olulu   last.  December  on  the  maiden  trip  of 


Morning  Star  were  eager  to  invest  in  this 
last  of  its  successors. 

The  story  of  our  small  fleet  of  seven  ves- 
sels may 

Drake  and  Frobisher,  but  it  is  far  more  in- 
spiring. The  first  four  vessels  bore  the  same 
name,  the  Morning  Star.  Two  were  wrecked 
and  two  were  sold  when  they  became  unsea- 


this  beautiful  new  schooner.  One  reason  for 
joy  was  that  a  part  of  his  cargo  consisted  of 
the  first  installment  of  the  whole  Bible  in 


be  less  thrilling  than  the  deeds  of     GUbertese,  the  crowning  achievement  of  Dr. 

Bingham's  long  and  useful  life.  An  eager 
crowd  hurried  down  to  the  beach  at  Ocean 
Island  and  could  scarcely  wait  to  see  the 
boxes  of  books  unpacked.  Every  Bible  was 
sold  within  an  hour,  and  200  disappointed 
persons  hung  around  long  afterwards  vainly 
hoping  to  secure  a  copy.  Contrast  this  re- 
ception with  the  greeting  given  to  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Bingham,  on  their  arrival  in  1857,  by 
naked  and  filthy  cannibals,  ready  to  eat  them 
on  the  least  provocation. 

Has  it  paid  to  send  the  gospel  there? 
Does  any  stockholder  regret  having  invested 
in  any  or  all  of  these  seven  vessels?  Will 
the  young  people  rally  again  if  the  call 
comes  to  build  another?  Just  wait  and  see! 
It  is  not  yet  certain  whether  this  ship  is  a 
total  loss,  but  one  thing  is  sure.  The  call 
to  share  our  Christian  privileges  with  the 
people  of  these  little  islands  will  never  cease 
till  the  last  man,  woman  and  child  on  them 


Bingham  II. 


worthy.    When  the  fifth  was  ready  to  launch,      has  beard  of  Him  wpho  often  spake  to  those 
in  1904,   there  was  quite  a  flurry  over  the     on  fhore  from  a  sma11  boat  on  the  Sea  of 

proposal   to  give  it  another  name.      Never!     Galilee.  F.  j.  D. 

cried  a  chorus  of  voices  from  all  over  the 
United  States,  and  even  from  some  of  the 
dusky  islanders  in  the  Pacific  seas,  to  whom 
the  ships  of  this  name  had  been  in  very 
truth  the  morning  stars  that  heralded  the 
coming  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness.  So  No.  5 
was  christened  with  the  old  name  amid  much 


The  man  who  does  not  hope  for  better 
things  and  does  not  believe  that  better  things 
can  be  brought  about  is  not  the  man  likely 
to  bring  better  things  about.  Constant  crit- 
icism and  constant  pessimism  are  productive 
of  paralysis  and  stagnation. — President  Taft, 


INDEX  TO   ARTICLES. 


AFRl  :A. 


Across  Africa 3 

TheZulus " 

\TsittoaZuluKraal *5 

Cruelty  in  Africa *9 

Faithful  Africans 23 

African  Princes  in  England 27 

Mtesa,  Emperor  of  Uganda 31 

•Morning  Star  "in  Africa 35 

New  Mission  in  Central  Africa 39 

From  Bengueia  to  Bine 43 

West  Central  African  Mission  in  1882      .    .  47 

Christmas  at  Baflundu 51 

An  African  Trial 54 

Two  Noted  Zulus 55 

Robert  Moflat V    ....  59 

African  Slave-boy 63 

Samuel  Crowther.  Slave-boy  and  Bishop      .  67 

Blind  Zulu  Boy's  Story 71 

TURKEY. 

Empire  of  the  Sultan 77 

How  the  Gospel  Reached  Egin 84 

Islam »9 

The  Armenians 97 

Letter  from  Eastern  Turkey 101 

Followers  of  the  False  Prophet 106 

Erzroom  and  hs  Villages no 

Martyred  Turks  of  Thyatira 114 

Village  Life  in  Bulgaria       119 

Easter  in  Bulgaria 123 

INDIA. 

India 129 

India  and  its  Wild  Tribes 133 

First  Brahman  Converts  at  Ahmednagar      .  137 

Idolatry  in  India 141 

Four  Rupees 144 

Hindu  Washings  for  Sin 145 

Harriet  NeweD 149 

Cholera  Mother 153 

Turning  from  Mohammed  to  Christ    ...  157 

Our  Madura  Jubilee,  1884 161 

Kirttans  of  India 165 


CHINA.  —  COSTTSCED. 


CHINA. 


China 

Celestial  Empire  .  .  . 
Central  Flowery  Kingdom 
Girlsin  China  .... 
Idol  of  Flesh  .... 
Chinese  Children  .  .  . 
Stories  from  China  . 


More  Chinese  Stories 
Punishments  in  China 
Superstitions  of  the  Chinese 
Calling  the  Gods  to  Prayer 
China  and  the  Great  Nations 

JAPAN. 

Empire  of  the  Mikado 
Old  Japan 
Sunrise  Kingdom 
Scenes  in  Japan 
Rejected  Idols 


205 
209 
213 
«I7 
219 


223 
231 
235 
239 
243 
247 
251 


The  Deformed  Girl 

The  Land  of  the  Rising  Son 255 

MICRONESIA     AND     THE        MORNING 
STAR." 

Micronesia =67 

Christian  and  Heathen  in  Micronesia       .    .  271 

Marshall  Islands 275 

More  Notes  Concerning  the  Marshall  Islands  279 

Micronesians  Picked  up  at  Sea 283 

The  -  Morning  Star's  "  Report  to  her  Stock- 
holders in  1879 289 

Report  of  the  "Morning  Star  "—1880     .    .  292 

From  the  "Morning  Star "— 1881  ....  295 

From  the  "Morning  Star "—1882  ....  299 
The  Captain  of  the  "  Morning  Star"  to  her 

Owners  in  1883 3°3 

The  "  Morning  Star"  in  1884 3°7 

Last  Words  of  "  Morning  Star  "  No.  3    .    .  311 
Vovage  of  the  "  Morning  Star "   No.  s.  :o 

'Honolulu 315 

PAPAL  LANDS. 

An  Evangelist  in  Spain 321 

The  Bible-stand  in  the  Fair  of  Santander     .  325 

Zaragoza.— The  City  and  the  Mission     .    .  328 

Old-time  Protestants  of  Prague 335 

Missionary  Work  in  Bohemia 339 

Bibte  Scenes  in  a  Land  Without  the  Bible    .  344 

OTHER  LANDS  AND   ISLANDS. 

Henry  Obookiah 351 

Heroine  of  Hawaii 355 

Glad  Days  at  Waimea 359 

Thakombau.  a  King  of  Fiji 361 

Toa  and  Triumph  in  Madagascar  .    .    .    .  S66 

A  Missionary  Among  Cannibals      .    .    .    .  37* 

The  Pitcairn  Islanders 375 

A  Picture  that  Made  a  Missionary  ...  379 

The  Indians  of  North  America 3Sl 


INDEX  TO    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


AFRICA. 


Page. 

3 


Stanley's  Camp  at  Mpwapwa 

Map  of  Africa 4 

Mtesa  and  his  Chiefs 5 

Council-house 6 


Mtesa'sO 


One  of  the  Watata 

Toward  the  Unknown 

Stanley's  Boat-crew      

A  Zulu  Warrior 

Zulu  Church  and  Schoolhouse 

Zulu  Kraal      r 

James  Dube" 

Zulu  Head-dress 

Zulus  at  Home 

Doctor  Seeking  a  Wizard 

African  King  in  State  Dress 

Hippopotami  on  the  Zambesi 

Village  in  Angola 

Chumah  and  Susi 

Ilala.     The  Hut  in  which  Livingstone  Died     .   .   . 
Village  built  by  those  who  were  caring  for  Living- 

stone's  Body 

Umoyamuhle.     Umzila's  Kraal 

Envoys  from  Uganda 

Women  in  Africa 

Map  of  Natal 

Mtesa 

Mtesa's  Palace  at  Rubaga 

Mission  Premises,  Rubaga 

African  Tepoia 

Village  on  Lake  Tanganyika 

Ujiji,  Lake  Tanganyika 

Custom-house  at  Benguela 

Porters  of  Bih<5      

House  at  Catumbella 

People  of  Kisanji ,. 

St.  Paul  de  Loanda 

Biheans  Constructing  a  Hut 

Carrier  of  Bil.e 

Ant-hills,  River  Cutato 

Serpa  Pinto's  Encampment  on  way  to  Bihd  .... 

Bihe  Head-dress 

Bih<<  Woman 

Plan  of  Village  of  Belmonte 

Belmonte  House,  Bib.* 

Ganguella  Blacksmiths 

Bind  Women  Grinding  Corn 

Mission  Premises  at  Bailundu 

Types  of  Women  in  Western  Africa 

African  Chief's  Wife  Traveling 

James  Dube^ 

Cetywayo 

Cape  Town  and  Table  Mountain,  South  Africa   .   . 

Robert  Moffat 

On  the  March  in  South  Africa 

Watusi  Salutation 


AFRICA.  —  CONTINUED. 

Page. 

African  Baobab-tree 65 

African  Prostrating  Himself  before  his  Prince  ...  66 

African  Family 67 

Bishop  Samuel  Crowther 68 

Building  a  House  in  Africa 70 

Memorial  Church  at  Umvoti 71 

Forest  Scene  in  Africa 73 

African  Baobab-tree 74 


Map  of  Turkey.   .   , 
Mosque  of  St.  Sophi 


Moslem  He 


ehold 


Country  House  in  Turkey      .... 
House  of  a  Greek  at  Antioch    .   .    . 

Turkish  Woman  Weaving 

Mountain  Pass  in  Eastern  Turkey  . 
Turk  at  Home   .   . 


Water-wheel  and  Aqueduct 
Mosque  of  Sultan  Achmed 
Mosque  of  the  Pigeons  .  . 


Muezzin  Calling  to  Prayer 
Moslem  Cemetery  .  .  .  . 
Armenian  Pi  iest 


Armenian  Bishop 

Armenian  Women,  near  Kars   . 
Patriarch  at  Constantinople   .    . 

Greek  Lady 

Trebizond 


A  Zeibek 

A  Tartar 

Mohammedan  Mufti 

Moslems  at  Supper 

Mohammedan  Pilgrim  from  Africa  .   . 
Cemetery  of  Pilgrims  at  Mecca    .    .    . 


Vill. 


the  A  raxes 


gei 

Erzroom,  Eastern  Turkey  .    . 
Village  on  the  Euphrates    .   . 

Oriental  Encampment 

Ak  Hissar,  the  Ancient  Thyatira  . 
Turkish  Merchant  with  his  Camel  . 
Antioch  .  .  .  .  ,  .  .  .  . 


A  Bulgarian 

Bulgarian  Villagers 

Turkish  Outpost  on  the  Danube 

Bulgarian  Cathedral,  Samokov 

An  Eikon 

Bulgarian  Popes 

Map  of  European  Turkey 

Mission  School  at  Erzroom 


Street  in  Constantinople 92 

Moslems  before  the  Mosque 93 

Turkish  Lady 


List  of  Illustrations. 


INDIA. 


Page. 


Map  of  India 128 

Hindu  Temple 129 

Schoolhouse  in  India 130 

Merchants  of  Bombay 131 

Parsee  Children 132 

Hook-swinging  in  India      ••••••••••••  133 

Parsee  of  Bombay    . 134 

Village  in  South  India 135 

Hindu  Woman 136 

Mission  Bungalow  at  Ahmednagar  •   • 137 

Christian  Natives  in  India     ...........  139 

Rajah  of  India  ...............    ..  140 

Child  Before  Ganesha 141 

Hindu  Worshiping  the  Sun  and  his  Tools  .   .   .   •   .  142 

Brahman  Family  in  Southern  India    ..•...«  143 

Fakir  of  India 145 

Great  Tank  at  Strivilliputter 146 

Mowli,  Western  India 148 

Harriet  Newell 149 

Women  of  Madura,  India 151 

Traveler's  Bungalow,  India 152 

Hindu  Goddess 153 

Cart  of  the  Cholera  Mother 154 

Sculptured  Guards  Before  a  Hindu  Temple  ....  155 

Brahmans  at  Prayer     ..............  156 

Mussulmans  of  Bombay     ............  159 

Coming  from  the  Mosque   ............  160 

Church  at  Pasumalai    •••...... 161 

Temple  Gate  in  Madura 163 

Map  of  Madura  District 164 

Missionary  Touring 165 

Ganpatti,  the  God  of  Wisdom 166 

Satara,  India      167 

Pasumalai  Seminary 169 

Hindu  Girls  at  School 389 

Mission  College,  Jaffna,  Ceylon 390 

CHINA. 

Map  of  Eastern  China 172 

Mercantile  Warehouse,  Peking 173 

Great  Wall  of  China    . 175 

Consulting  the  Oracle 176 

Writing  and  Sale  of  Prayers  ...    ......    ..  177 

Burning  Prayers 178 

Chinese  Funeral  Procession 179 

Scene  in  China 181 

Chinese  Official 182 

Memorial  Tablet 183 

Buddhist  Hermit 184 

Traveling  by  Wheelbarrow 185 

Beggars'  Bridge,  Peking 186 

Chinese  Schoolboys 187 

Burning  of  Joss  Sticks 187 

Chinese  Joss-house 188 

Bound  Foot,  with  Slipper 190 

Flower-girl  from  North  China 191 

Chinese  Palanquin  and  Bearers 192 

Chinese  Idol-worshipers 193 

Monument  of  Chinese  Buddha,  Peking 195 

Chinese  Wheelbarrow  Carriage    •• 196 

An-Ting  Gate,  Peking 197 

Chinese  Procession ..  199 

Chinese  Canal  and  Bridge ••  200 

Group  of  Chinese  Children 201 

Playing  Before  Parents    .............  202 

Dutiful  Lee  at  his  Mother's  Tomb 203 

Chinese  Schoolroom     ....  .  204 


CHINA.  —  CONTINUED. 

P»*e. 

Entertaining  Aged  Parents 205 

Catching  Fishes  Through  the  Ice 206 

Bamboo  Shoots  Watered  by  Tears 207 

Pot  of  Gold 208 

Prince  Rung 209 

Cangue - 210 

Chinese  Court 211 

Whipping  a  Prisoner  Through  the  Streets     ....  212 

Chinese  Clothes-mender      213 

Traveling  by  Wheelbarrow 214 

City  of  Tientsin,  North  China 216 

Drum  and  Gongs  of  a  Chinese  Temple 217 

Chinese  Temple  in  Min  River 218 

Chart  of  China  and  the  Great  Nations 219 

JAPAN. 

Fujiyama     .....••..•••*..    ....  223 

Kioto 224 

First  Graduates  of  Kioto  Training  School    ....  226 

Barber's  Shop 227 

Japanese  Grocer 228 

Japanese  Family  at  Dinner 229 

Carrying  the  Baby 230 

Great  Buddha 231 

Temple  of  Hachiman 232 

Japanese  Matsuri 233 

Representative  Classes  of  Japanese  Society      .   .   .  234 

Samurai 233 

Buddhist  Priest 235 

Pilgrims  to  Fujiyama 236 

Street  in  Tokio 237 

Japanese  Mother  and  Child 238 

Church  at  Imabari,  Japan 239 

Procession  of  Saint  Miodjin  at  Tokio 240 

Japanese  Scribe 241 

Japanese  Jinrikisha 242 

Vebisu      243 

Daikoku 244 

Kato,  the  General 244 

J.antern 244 

Poor  Man's  Bishamon 244 

Rich  Man's  Bishamon 245 

Gambler's  Charm 245 

Load  of  Idols  for  the  Missionary 246 

Kuwanon 246 

Temperance  Pledge 247 

Gambler's  Reformation 248 

Sailor's  Thank-offering 249 

Restored  Teeth 249 

Farmer's  Dream 250 

Japanese  Girls 252 

Japanese  Two-man  Jinrikisha      253 

Village  on  the  Tokaido 255 

Aino  Houses  .   , 256 

Aino  Men 257 

Interior  of  an  Aino  House 258 

Buddhist  Priests 259 

Rokakudo  —  Temple  at  Kioto 260 

Straw  Rain-cloak      261 

Flowing  Invocation 261 

Belfry  of  Buddhist  Temple 262 

MICRONESIA. 

Map  of  Micronesia 264 

"  Morning  Star " 267 

Kusaie      .                                                                       ,   .  268 


Princess  Opatinia 269 

Native  Missionaries     • 270 


viii 


List  of  Ilhistrations. 


MICRONESIA.  —  CONTINUED. 


Page. 


Nanakin  of  Ponape,  with  Wife  and  Child 271 

Mission  Premises  on  Ponape 272 

Village  on  Kusaie 273 

Kabua,  Chief  of  Ralik 275 

Native  Man 276 

Jaluij,  from  the  Lagoon 277 

Marshall  Island  Canoes  Under  Sail 278 

Cocoanut-trees 279 

Pandanus-tree .  280 

Fruit  of  the  Pandanus     281 

Tattoo  Work 281 

Native  Christian  Woman 282 

Micronesian  Islander 283 

Micronesian  Canoe 285 

Rescued  Islanders 287 

Fourth  "  Morning  Star" 288 

Coral  Island  with  Lagoon 289 

Palm-tree 290 

"  Morning  Star  "  No.  3 291 

Lagoon  Island  in  Micronesia 292 

Apaiang,  Gilbert  Islands 
The ' 

Proa     

Young  Man  of  the  Marshall  Islands  .... 
Islanders  Towing  "Morning  Star"     .... 

Native  Council-house,  or  Maneaba 

Welcome  of  the  "  Morning  Star  " 299 

Coral  Island  in  the  Pacific  ." 301 

Gilbert  Island  Warriors 302 

Nearing  a  Lagoon 304 

Distant  View  of  Kusaie  .   . 305 

M  ap  of  Lagoon  of  Ruk 

Christian  Island  in  the  Southern  Pacifi 

Micronesian  Island 

Missionary  Ship,  "  John  Wesley  "  .   . 

Mission  House  on  Kenan 

Maori  Chief 

Honolulu  Harbor  Thirty  Years  Ago   . 


293 

Evening  Star" 294 

295 

296 

297 


SPAIN. 


Map  of  Spain 

City  of  Burgos , 

Spanish  Peasants  .... 
Palace  of  La  Granja     .    .   , 

Spanish  Priest 

Finished  Stand  at  Fair     .   , 
Bridge  at  Zaragoza  .   ;    . 
Cathedral  of  the  Pillar    .   , 

Leaning  Tower , 

Ruins  of  Santa  Engracia    , 

Spanish  Gypsy 

Ancient  Aqueduct  at  Sego\ 


AUSTRIA. 

Map  of  Austrian  Mission  .... 
Rathhaus     . 


Page. 

•  34& 

•  335 

•  337 

•  338 

•  339 

•  34° 

•  342 

•  343 


Prague  from  the  West 

John  Huss 

Hradschin  Palace      . 

Chamber  in  the  Hradschin  Palace  . 
Tower  of  Charles's  Bridge,  Prague 
Wayside  Chapel  in  Bohemia  .  .  .  . 

MEXICO. 


Fountain  at  Chihuahua 344 

Old  Church  of  San  Francisco  at  Chihuahua  ....  345 

Saddled  Burro 346 

Mexican  Adobe  House 347 

Map  of  Mexico 348 

SANDWICH   ISLANDS. 

Hawaiian  War-god,  Kaili 351 

Kekauluohi,  a  Hawaiian  Ruler  in  1840 352 

Seminary  at  Waialua,  Sandwich  Islands,  1866     .   .  354 

Native  Grass  House,  Hawaii 355 

Native  Congregation  in  1823 356 

Crater  of  Mauna  Loa 357 

Hawaiian  Woman,  1876 358 

Cocoanut-trees       359 

The  "  Morning  Star  "  Approaching  Honolulu     .   .  360 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Patagonian      316 

Thakombau,  King  of  Bau 361 

Cannibal  Fork 362 

Fijian  Cannibal  Temple,  with  Victims 363 

Fijian 364 

Schoolhouse  and  Chapel  at  Mbua 365 

Natives  of  Madagascar  Pounding  Rice 367 

View  in  Antananirivo 369 

Ravonanahitraniarivo,    Chief    of     the     Malagasy 

Envoys 370 

Natives  in  their  Heathen  State 372 

Native  Crew  of  the  "  Dayspring,"  1870 373 

Mission  Station  on  Aneiteum,  New  Hebrides  .   .   .  374 

Bounty  Bay 375 

House  of  John  Adams 377 

Church  and  Schoolhouse 378 

Martyrs  in  Madagascar 379 

Indian  Girl 381 


Village  of  the  Wild  Indians   . 

Medicine  Man 

Pierre's  Lodge,  Fort  Berthold 
Black  Tongue,  the  Sacred  Mai 

Indian  Baby-basket 

Indian  Baby-carriage  .... 
Indian  Warrior  and  his  Bride 


RIGA. 


THE  following  stories  are  about  the  great  African  Continent,  a  map  of  which 
is  seen  upon  page  4.  The  Christian  people  of  many  lands  have  missions  in 
different  parts  of  Africa,  and  our  American  Board  of  Missions  has  its  messengers 
in  three  places.  Its  first  mission  was  to  the  Zulus,  and  was  begun  in  Natal,  in 
1835.  The  second  was  sent  to  West  Central  Africa  in  1880.  The  third  is  the 
East  Central  African  Mission,  organized  in  1883.  Natal  is  a  healthy  and  beautiful 
country,  under  English  rule,  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  hundreds  of  converts  there 
will  become  missionaries  to  the  darker  regions  of  their  land.  The  West  Central 
African  missionaries  land  at  Benguela  and  travel  inland,  and  climb  upward  for 
about  two  hundred  miles,  till  they  reach  the  cool  and  salubrious  climate  of  Bai- 
lundu,  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  The  East  Central  African  Mission  is  in 
and  about  Inhambane,  on  the  eastern  coast. 


ACROSS  AFRICA. -1579. 


WE  wish  all  the  young  people  who  are  interested  in  the  great  work  of 
regenerating  the  world  could  read  the  volumes  of  Mr.  Stanley,  entitled 
"  Through  the  Dark  Continent."  By  the  kindness  of  the  publishers,  Messrs. 
Harper  and  Brothers,  we  are  able  to  give  several  illustrations  taken  from  these 
volumes  which  are  so  full  of  interest.  It  is  only  within  a  few  years  that  anything 
has  been  known  about  the  interior  of  Africa.  The  old  maps  of  that  region  are 
quite  worthless,  but  the  one  on  the  next  page,  although  not  so  complete  as  we 
could  wish,  is  in  the  main  correct.  This  journey  of  Mr.  Stanley's  is  among  the 
most  wonderful  ever  taken.  He  went  directly  across  Africa  from  east  to  west, 
occupying  in  his  travels  nearly  three  years,  and  exploring  a  region,  a  large  part 


Copyright,  1878,  by  Harper  &  Brothers. 
MR     STANLEY'S    CAMP    AT    MPWAPWA. 

of  which  had  never  before  been  visited  by  a  white  man.  He  says  that  his  object 
was  to  search  out  lands  which  might  be  suitable  for  commercial  and  missionary 
enterprise,  and  already  missionaries  have  followed  in  his  track,  and  are  now 
telling  of  the  Saviour  to  the  tribes  in  the  interior.  Other  missionaries  are  soon 
to  go,  some  from  our  land,  as  well  as  from  England  and  Scotland. 


4  Across  Africa. 

HOW   THE   JOURNEY   WAS   MADE. 

The  expedition  started  from  Zanzibar  November  12,  1875.  ^  consisted 
of  Mr.  Stanley,  three  white  men  from  England,  and  a  great  number  of 
guides,  porters,  women,  and  children,  amounting  in  all  to  356  souls.  This 
large  company  was  rendered  necessary  not  only  for  defense  in  case  of  attack 
but  to  carry  what  passes  for  money  in  that  land.  Silver  and  gold,  and 
bank  bills,  are  of  no  value  in  the  heart  of  Africa.  What  the  people  there 
want  is  cloth  and  glass  beads  and  brass  wire,  and  a  great  many  porters 
were  needed  to  carry  enough  to  purchase  supplies  along  the  way.  The 
company,  when  on  the  march,  stretched  along  the  path  for  nearly  half  a 
mile.  You  can  trace  on  the  map  below  the  course  taken.  From  Baga- 
moyo,  on  the  main-land  opposite  the  island  of  Zanzibar,  they  went  to 


AFRICA, 

Published  by 

Tk*  Native  African  Mission* 
Aid  Association,  1881 


Across  Africa.  5 

Mpwapwa,  and  then  northwest  to  the  Lake  Victoria  Nyanza,  which  is  the 
great  source  of  the  River  Nile.  Mr.  Stanley  sailed  around  the  shores  of 
this  lake,  which,  though  it  is  three  times  as  large  as  the  State  of  Massachu- 


setts,  had  been  discovered  by  white  men  only  seven  years  before.  On  the 
northern  shore  of  the  Victoria  Xyanza  is  Uganda,  whose  Emperor,  Mtesa, 
welcomed  Stanley  and  entertained  him  for  many  weeks.  Unlike  most  of 
the  natives  of  Central  Africa,  the  people  of  Uganda  wear  considerable 


6  Across  Africa. 

clothing,  never  appearing  naked  in  the  presence  of  the  Emperor.  But 
alas  !  they  are  deceitful,  thievish,  and  quite  regardless  of  human  life. 
Their  Emperor  keeps  them  under  control  only  by  fear. 

MTESA,    THE    EMPEROR. 

This  Emperor  was  a  remarkable  man  and  a  great  admirer  of  white  men,  of 
whom  he  had  seen  three  or  four  before  Mr.  Stanley  went  to  Uganda.  He 
had  built  him  a  new  capitol  recently,  of  which  a  picture  is  given  on  the 
opposite  page.  The  council-house,  or  audience-hall,  represented  below, 
stands  on  the  corner  of  the  hill,  up  which  a  fine  avenue  has  been  cut 
through  the  rich  growth  of  plantains,  and  bananas,  and  fig  trees.  This 


THE  COUNCIL-HOUSE. 


Copyright,  DS7K,  l)y  Harper  &  Brother?, 


council-house  is  built  of  poles  and  straw,  and  here  Mtesa  met  his  chiefs. 
He  was  a  cruel  man  and  often  sent  a  chief  "  to  eat  up,"  or  destroy,  some 
one  who  had  offended  him.  And  yet  he  seemed  greatly  interested  in  what 
Mr.  Stanley  told  him  about  Jesus  Christ.  He  asked  to  hear  more  about 
this  Saviour,  and  Mr.  Stanley  translated  a  large  part  of  the  gospel  of  Luke 
into  the  language  of  Uganda.  Mtesa  was  so  much  touched  by  the  story 
of  the  Lord  who  came  to  earth,  that  he  professed  to  become  a  Christian. 
But  he  afterwards  showed,  as  a  great  many  not  living  in  Africa  do,  that 
though  he  admired  the  Lord  Jesus  he  was  not  disposed  to  follow  him. 
Yet  Mr.  Stanley  was  so  much  impressed  with  the  possibility  of  bringing 
this  Emperor  and  his  people  to  rect've  the  Christian  religion  that  he 
sent  home  an  appeal  to  the  philanthropists  and  pious  people  of  England. 
"  Here,  gentlemen,  is  your  opportunity  —  embrace  it !  The  people  on  the 
shores  of  the  Nyanza  call  upon  you.  Obey  your  own  generous  instincts 
and  listen  to  them ;  and  I  assure  you  that  in  one  year  you  will  have  more 
converts  to  Christianity  than  all  other  missionaries  united  can  number." 
The  English  Church  Missionary  Society  answered  this  call  at  once,  and 
its  missionaries  are  already  in  Uganda.  It  was  hoped  that  Mtesa  would 


Across  Africa.  y 

live  many  years,  for  under  another  Emperor  the  missionaries  might  have  a 
different  reception  from  that  given  Mr.  Stanley. 

When  the  expedition  was  ready  to  move  on  from  Uganda,  Mtesa  fur- 


nished a  large  body  of  natives,  numbering  2,100,  to  accompany  Mr.  Stan- 
ley westward  to  Lake  Muta  Nzige.  But  the  people  at  this  lake  were  so 
warlike  that  Stanley's  escort  refused  to  stand  by  him,  and  he  was  obliged 


8 


Across  Africa. 


to  turn  southward,  passing  through  various  tribes  until  he  reached  Ujiji, 
on  Lake  Tanganyika.  On  his  way  he  met  many  of  the  Watuta  tribe,  a  fierce 
and  thievish  race,  who  seem  to  have  no  permanent  home  anywhere.  They 
assault  and  rob  whomever  they  think  they  can  conquer.  These  people  ap- 
parently came  from  the 
southern  part  of  Africa, 
and  are  able  to  under- 
stand the  Zulu  language 
as  spoken  by  our  mis- 
sionaries in  Natal.  The 
Watuta  are  for  Africa 
just  what  the  wander- 
ing Bedawin  are  in 
Palestine  and  Arabia. 

Since  Stanley  was  at 
Ujiji,  the  missionaries 
of  the  London  Mission- 
ary Society  have  estab- 
lished a  station  at  that 
place.  They  expect  to 
be  able  to  reach  a  great 
many  people  who  live 
on  the  borders  of  Lake 
Tanganyika.  This  is 
one  of  the  regions  that 
the  missionary  Living- 
stone explored,  and  it  has  been  visited  by  several  white  men.  Stanley, 
after  sailing  around  this  lake  in  the  boat  which  he  brought  all  the  way 
from  England,  marched  on  westward  till  he  reached  the  Lualaba  River. 

THE    MYSTERY   ABOUT   WHITE   PEOPLE. 

Some  of  the  tribes  through  which  Stanley  passed  in  this  section  of  Af- 
rica are  cannibals,  though  they  do  not  kill  men  for  the  purpose  of  eating 
them.  They  could  not  understand  why  Stanley  and  his  company  should  care 
to  pass  that  way.  Kassanga,  Chief  of  Ruanda,  was  reported  to  have  said  : 
"  How  can  the  white  men  be  good  when  they  come  for  no  trade,  whose 
feet  one  never  sees,  who  always  go  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  clothes. 
Do  not  tell  me  they  are  good  and  friendly.  There  is  something  very  mys- 
terious about  them  :  perhaps  wicked."  In  another  place,  Uhombo,  the 
people,  naked  and  without  shame,  gathered  about  the  white  strangers,  star- 
ing at  them  as  if  they  were  creatures  from  another  world.  After  long  gaz- 
ing they  turned  away  and  were  heard  to  say,  "  Yes,  these  white  creatures 
are  men  ! "  Why  have  they  not  as  much  right  to  question  whether  we  are 
men  as  we  have  to  question  whether  they  are  ? 

THE   LIVINGSTONE   RIVER. 

But  the  most  remarkable  thing  accomplished  by  Mr.  Stanley  in  this  ex- 
pedition was  his  discovery  that  the  Lualaba  River,  to  which  he  gave  the 


Copyright,  1878,  by  Harper  &  Brothers. 
ONE  OF  THE  WATUTA. 


Across  Africa.  9 

name  of  the  Livingstone,  in  honor  of  the  great  missionary,  was  the  same 
as  the  Congo,  emptying  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  No  white  man  had  ever 
gone  further  west  than  Nyangwe.  From  that  place  the  river  flows  towards 
the  north,  but  no  one  knew  where  it  went  to.  Some  supposed  that  it 
emptied  into  the  Nile.  Stanley  determined  to  follow  it  through  its  course. 
None  but  a  brave  man  would  have  dared  to  attempt  the  task.  All  that 
was  known  of  the  tribes  along  the  way  was  that  they  were  warlike  and 
cannibals.  The  river  with  its  rapids  and  cataracts  was,  perhaps,  more 
treacherous  than  the  men.  Many  of  Stanley's  company  deserted  him,  but 
with  such  of  his  followers  as  he  could  retain  he  pushed  on  to  the  unknown 
regions.  The  picture  below  represents  the  start  upon  the  Livingstone 
River. 


TOWARDS  THE  UNKNOWN. 

We  have  not  room  to  tell  of  the  wonderful  voyage  which  occupied  seven 
months.  Two  men  were  employed  to  cry  out  from  the  boats  to  all  the 
people  along  the  shores,  "  Sen-nen-neh  "  ("  Peace  "),  but  there  was  no  peace 
granted.  Skirmishes  and  battles  were  of  constant  occurrence.  Many  in 
the  expedition  were  killed  in  these  fights,  and  many  were  drowned  in  the 
river.  But  the  work  was  finally  accomplished,  and  Stanley  and  his  party, 
having  lost  by  death  the  three  white  men  and  nearly  one  hundred  of  the 
Africans  who  started  with  them  from  Zanzibar,  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
Livingstone  or  Congo  River,  whose  course  they  had  traced  from  the  heart 
of  Africa.  It  is  a  marvelous  land  which  has  thus  been  made  known  to  the 
world.  It  is  rich  and  fertile,  and  before  long  will  be  open  to  trade.  Its 
people  are  rude  and  cruel,  but  they  can  be  reached  by  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Says  this  intrepid  explorer,  whose  journey  we  have  so  briefly 
traced,  "  How  long,  I  wonder,  shall  the  people  of  these  lands  remain  thus 
ignorant  of  Him  who  created  the  gorgeous  sunlit  world  they  look  upon 
each  day  ?  " 


THE  ZULUS.-1579. 


A  YEAR  or  two  ago  we  could  read  about  the  Zulus  only  in  books  and  mis- 
sionary magazines,  but  now  we  may  read  about  them  in  almost  every  daily- 
paper.  The  war  between  this  tribe  of  Africans  and  the  English  has  called 
attention  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  many  are  asking  who  these  peo- 
ple are  who  can  resist  the  British  forces  so  successfully. 

There  are  three  native  races  inhabiting  South  Africa :  the  Bushmen,  the 
Hottentots,  and  the  Kaffirs.  The  Zulus  belong  to  the  Kaffir  tribe,  and 
they  are  sometimes  called  Kaffir-Zulus.  They  occupy  a  region  in  the  south- 
east part  of  Africa,  including  the  province  of  Natal  and  the  territory  north 
of  it.  Natal  is  now  an  English 
colony,  having  been  made  such 
in  1843,  and  many  English  people 
have  gone  there  to  trade  and  to 
live.  But  before  these  colonists 
went  to  Natal,  missionaries  from 
America  had  begun  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  degraded  natives. 
This  was  in  1835.  The  Zulus,  as 
they  were  first  found,  were  de- 
graded indeed.  The  men,  to  be 
sure,  had  good  forms  and  feat- 
ures ;  they  were  tall  and  quick  in 
their  motions.  The  earliest  mis- 
sionaries described  them  as  wear- 
ing a  few  feathers  upon  the  head, 

It 


beads  upon  the  neck  and  arms, 
a  small  piece  of  the  skin  of  some 
animal  about  the  loins,  and  oth- 


photograph  of  the  Zulu  warrior 
from  which  the  engraving  here 
given  has  been  made  was  sent 
us  recently  from  Natal.  This 
warrior  is  supposed  to  be  con- 
nected with  the  royal  family, 
and  in  appearance  is  a  good  A  ZULU  WARRIOR. 

specimen   of  the  heathen   Zulus   who   are   now  at  war  with  the   English. 
They  are  a  strong,  vigorous  race,  and  very  brave. 


The  Zulus. 


A  ZULU  KRAAL. 


HOW    THE    HEATHEN    ZULUS    LIVE. 

We  give  a  picture  on  this  page  of  the  ordinary  native  dwelling,  called  a 
"  kraal."  It  looks  like  a  large  beehive,  and  is  made  of  withes  covered 
with  thatch.  Kraals  are  usually  some  eight  or  ten  feet  in  diameter,  and  in 
the  center  are  four  or  five  feet  high,  so  that  no  man  can  stand  erect  in 
them.  They  have  but  one  opening,  about  two  feet  high,  which  serves  for 
door  as  well  as  for  win- 
dows and  chimney.  If 
a  Zulu  has  many  wives, 
several  of  these  kraals 
are  built  together  in 
a  circle,  thus  making 
a  pen  for  the  cattle. 
Women  are  always 
bought  for  wives  in 
exchange  for  cattle, 
fathers  selling  their 
own  daughters  to  the 
man  who  will  give  him 
the  most  cows  for 
them.  The  Zulus  were 
never  cannibals,  but 
they  care  very  little 
for  human  life.  It  is 
said  that  when  a  king  dies  his  body  is  not  allowed  to  touch  the  ground, 
and  before  he  is  buried  several  of  his  principal  men  are  killed  and  their 
bodies  are  placed  in  the  grave  so  that  the  king  may  rest  upon  them.  Ceta- 
wayo,  the  present  king  of  the  wild  Zulus,  when  the  English  protested 
against  his  slaying  so  many  of  his  own  people,  sent  back  this  message  :  "  I 
do  kill,  but  do  not  consider  I  have  done  anything  in  the  way  of  killing. 
I  have  not  yet  begun.  I  have  yet  to  kill.  It  is  the  custom  of  our  nation, 
and  I  shall  not  depart  from  it." 

WHAT  THE    GOSPEL    HAS    DONE    FOR   THE   ZULUS. 

Some  one  told  Mr.  Grout,  one  of  the  first  missionaries  who  went  to 
Africa,  that  he  was  going  on  a  wild  goose  chase.  After  thirty  years  of 
work  there  he  could  say  :  "  If  I  did,  I  caught  my  goose."  To  be  sure,  it 
was  ten  years  after  the  missionaries  reached  Natal  before  the  first  convert 
was  received,  but  since  then  fifteen  churches  have  been  formed,  and  large 
numbers  of  Zulus  have  become  Christians.  They  are  changed  in  every  re- 
spect, —  new  creatures  all  through,  —  with  new  hearts  first,  and  then  with 
new  clothes,  and  new  houses,  and  new  habits.  In  the  picture  above  the 
artist  has  put  a  frock  on  the  man  standing  outside  the  kraal,  but  he  never 
wore  such  a  frock  until  he  became  a  Christian,  and  then  he  soon  built  a 
house  in  place  of  the  kraal.  The  picture  opposite  shows  the  chapel  and 
a  corner  of  the  school-house  built  by  the  Christian  Zulus  of  Amanzimtote, 
and  is  said  to  be  a  fair  representation  of  the  people  as  they  may  be  seen 
at  any  ordinary  gathering  during  the  week. 


The  Zulus. 


A    ZULU    CHIEF    AND    PASTOR. 

Our  missionaries  have  sent  home  a  photograph  of  the  Rev.  James  Dube, 
from  which  the  engraving  below  has  been  made,  showing  a  noble  specimen 
of  the  Christian  Zulus.  The  story  of  this  man  is  remarkable.  He  was  born 
in  the  interior,  in  a  common  kraal,  where  he  lived  as  all  Zulu  children  did, 
naked  and  untaught.  He  was  the  son  of  a  chief,  but  when  he  was  quite  a 

boy  his  mother  fled  with  him  to- 
wards the  coast  because  a  war  had 
broken  out  between  the  tribes  in 
the  region  where  they  lived.  They 
came  to  one  of  the  missionary  sta- 
tions, built  a  kraal,  and  there  James 
cared  for  his  mother.  He  soon  be- 
came a  Christian,  and  when  he  had 
gained  an  education  he  was  made 
a  teacher.  After  a  while  the  people 
of  his  tribe  came  to  get  him  away 
from  the  mission,  offering  him  the 
place  of  chief,  to  which  by  birth  he 
was  entitled.  He  had  only  a  small 
salary  as  teacher,  and  the  chief- 
tainship would  have  given  him 
everything  which  an  ordinary  Zulu 
thinks  worth  having  :  cattle,  wives, 
and  authority.  But  he  answered 
them  :  "  I  want  you  to  take  Christ 
for  your  chief,  and  then  I  will  glad- 
ly be  your  servant  and  teach  you 
about  him."  He  seems  to  have 
acted  on  the  command  Jesus  gave 
his  disciples  when  he  said :  "  He 
JAMES  DUB£,  A  ZULU  PASTOR.  that  is  great  among  you,  let  him  be 

as  the  younger  ;  and  he  that  is  chief  as  he  that  doth  serve."  In  1870  Mr. 
Dube  was  ordained  as  a  pastor  over  the  native  church  at  Inanda,  and  one 
of  our  missionaries,  writing  about  him  at  that  time,  says  :  "  While  he  has 
renounced  every  rag  and  tatter  of  heathenism,  he  is  still  greatly  respected 
by  his  people.  They  know  him  to  be  a  true  man,  a  wise  man,  inside  and 
outside  a  nobleman."  He  was  a  little  over  six  feet  high,  of  splendid  form 
and  feature,  and  though  black  as  any  negro,  it  was  rare  for  a  stranger  to 
meet  him  without  asking  :  "  Who  is  that  fine-looking  man  ?  "  His  preach- 
ing was  said  to  be  remarkably  serious,  earnest,  and  eloquent,  so  that  he 
always  deeply  moved  his  hearers.  But  before  he  had  time  to  show  all  that 
a  Zulu  could  be  or  could  do,  God  called  him  away  from  earth.  He  died  in 
1877.  Well  did  one  write  about  him  at  his  death  under  the  title  "  Ripened 
Fruit."  There  is  more  of  such  fruit  to  be  gathered  in  Zululand.  The 
English  are  sending  thousands  of  men  to  South  Africa  to  fight  the  Zulus. 
Can  we  not  send  a  few  more  missionaries  to  save  them  ? 


VISIT  TO  A  ZULU  KRAAL 


BY    REV.    JOSIAH   TYLER,    NATAL. 


ZULU  architecture  is  decidedly  of  a  hay-stack  order.  Approaching  a  kraal, 
or  village,  you  see  nothing  but  a  fence  of  bushes  and  poles,  circular  in  shape, 
within  which  stand  half  a  dozen  or  more  wicker-work  huts  covered  with  hay. 


They  are  not  all  so  fine  as  the  kraal  which  is  here  represented.  Creep  into  one 
of  the  huts  on  your  hands  and  knees,  Zulu  fashion,  and  take  notes.  That  fence 
you  see  on  one  side  of  the  hut,  about  two  feet  high,  is  to  separate  the  goats,  or 
calves,  from  the  human  occupants  of  the  hut.  Opposite  are  some  large  earthen 


i6 


Visit  to  a  Zulu  Kraal. 


dishes  for  food,  but  no  cup-board  and  no  place  for  one.  There  is  the  fire-place, 
a  saucer-shaped  excavation  in  the  ground,  made  of  ant-heap,  a  glutinous  kind  of 
earth,  to  keep  the  coals  from  scattering.  In  those  clay  pots,  with  stones  for 
legs,  their  food  is  cooked,  —  meat,  Indian  corn,  pumpkins,  sweet  potatoes,  and 
other  vegetables. 

Does  the  smoke  annoy  you  ?  Seat  yourself  at  a  distance,  keeping  your  head 
low,  for  that  which  does  not  escape  by  the  door,  the  only  chimney,  settles  in 
the  arch  above.  You  will  notice  that  the  poles  above  are  already  black  and 
shining  from  the  sooty  accumulations  of  years.  Are  you  thirsty  ?  The  mother 
of  the  house  will  hand  you  a  calabash  containing  some  amasi,  or  sour  milk.  Do 
not  reject  it,  for  it  is  not  skimmed,  but  rich  with  cream,  adapted  to  the  climate, 
not  a  bad  substitute  for  ice-cream.  Would  you  prefer  something  more  stimu- 
lating ?  A  dish  of  home-made  beer  is 
at  hand,  but  better  suited  to  native 
taste  than  to  yours  or  mine.  If  in- 
clined to  eat  a  regular  meal,  help 
yourself  with  your  hands  to  boiled 
corn,  and  for  desert,  finish  with  squash, 
or  sweet  potatoes.  Are  you  sleepy  ? 
A  little  girl  will  sweep  with  a  bunch  of 
grass  a  place  on  the  floor,  and  lay 
down  a  rush  mat  on  which  you  may 
recline.  She  will  then  hand  you  a 
pillow,  or  six-legged  stool,  a  foot  long, 
and  six  inches  high,  telling  you  to 
place  your  neck,  not  your  head,  upon 
it.  The  idea  being  too  suggestive  of 
a  guillotine  to  be  pleasant,  you  de- 
cline, but  you  will  understand  why 
the  Zulus  prefer  it  to  any  other  when 
you  look  at  the  elaborate  arrangement 
ZULU  HEAD-DRESS  of  their  hair,  on  which  some  friend 

has  been  employed  a  half  a  day  or  more,  and  which  must  not  be  disturbed.  If 
the  barking  of  dogs  and  the  incessant  chatting  of  the  natives  forbid  repose, 
notice  carefully  the  inhabitants  of  this  singular  abode. 

ZULU  MEN. 

There  is  the  head  man,  or  owner  of  the  kraal.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  stronger 
looking  man  ?  How  tall,  muscular,  and  well-built  every  way  !  Pity,  you  say, 
that  he  will  wear  those  cows'  skins  and  monkeys'  tails  about  his  body,  but  re- 
member that  this  has  been  the  dress  of  Zulu  men  from  time  immemorial. 
Observe  that  gutta-percha-like  ring  on  top  of  his  head.  How  curiously  the 
hair  has  been  fastened  to  it  and  risen  with  it.  The  man  often  makes  a  cushion 
of  the  hair  under  the  ring,  inserting  in  it  articles  of  general  utility,  such  as' 
tooth-picks,  needles,  and  a  snuff-spoon,  which,  by  the  way,  is  his  only  handker- 
chief. How  nicely  polished  he  keeps  that  ring  !  Yes,  't  is  his  pride,  his  badge 
of  manhood.  Touch  that,  and  you  will  insult  him  grievously.  Zulu  men  have 
been  known  to  die  rather  than  part  with  the  head  ring.  Chat  a  little  with  this 
lord  of  Zulu  creation  :  — 


Visit  to  a  Zulu  Kraal.  17 

"  Saku  bona  nigani."  [I  see  you  friend!]  This  is  the  invariable  salutation. 
"  Are  you  a  happy  man  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  I  should  be  more  so  if  I  had  more  cattle." 

"  What  would  you  do  with  them  ?  " 

"  Exchange  them  for  more  wives." 

"  What,  not  enough  already  ?  " 

"  No,  I  have  only  six.     My  father  had  ten." 

"  Not  a  good  custom  this,  my  friend,  one  which  keeps  the  Zulus  in  degrada- 
tion." 


ZULUS    AT    HOME. 

"  Oh  !  that  is  according  to  your  fancy.  We  black  people  are  of  another  race 
altogether.  Our  tastes  are  very  different !  We  shall  never  abandon  polygamy." 

"What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  that  intelligent  little  daughter  of  yours, 
yonder,  who  is  looking  at  us  so  intently  ?  " 

"  Sell  her  when  she  is  old  enough  for  ten  cows,  with  which  I  shall  purchase 
another  wife." 

"  Give  her  to  me,  and  I  will  teach  her  to  sew,  read,  and  write,  and  become  a 
useful  woman." 

"  No,  no  ;  you  white  people  spoil  our  girls.  In  your  hands  they  become  lazy, 
will  not  marry  the  husbands  we  select  for  them,  know  too  much,"  etc. 


1 8 


Visit  to  a  Zulu  Kraal. 


Seeing  him  fixed  in  his  opinion,  we  leave  him,  not,  however,  without  appeal- 
ing to  his  conscience,  of  which,  thank  God,  no  being,  however  degraded,  is 
destitute. 

ZULU   SPIRIT   DOCTORS. 

The  Kaffirs  of  South  Africa  believe  that  evil  is  brought  upon  them  by  wizards, 
or  bad  spirits.  If  a  man  is  sick  or  dies  somebody  is  supposed  to  have  be- 
witched him,  and  an  effort  must  be  made  by  consulting  the  spirits  to  find  the 
wizard.  The  picture  below  is  a  good  representation,  as  I  can  testify  from  per- 
sonal observation,  of  the  manner  in  which  the  Zulus  consult  the  ancestral 
spirits.  In  this  case  the  chief  agent  is  a  female,  for  the  Zulus  allow  women  to 
be  their  priests.  You  see  near  the  door  of  the  kraal  the  sick  man  supported  by 


DOCTOR"   SEEKING    A    WIZARD. 


two  of  his  wives,  anxiously  awaiting  the  reply  of  the  spirits,  and  the  priestess 
has  worked  herself  into  a  frenzy.  She  has  already  marked  one  of  the  men  as 
an  Umtakati,  or  wizard,  and  he  will  soon  be  tortured,  perhaps  murdered  in  cold 
blood.  The  power  of  these  "  spirit  doctors  "  is  very  great,  and  even  converted 
Zulus  do  not  wholly  lose  their  fear  of  this  class  of  persons.  Many  years  ago  one 
of  these  "  doctors "  visited  a  sick  relative  who  was  a  member  of  a  mission 
church,  and  told  the  converts  that  they  would  all  die  if  they  remained  with  the 
missionary.  The  result  was  that  many  went  off  to  the  heathen  kraals  ;  yet 
after  a  time  some  returned.  But  now  the  power  of  these  heathen  doctors  is 
much  broken.  Let  us  pray  that  it  may  soon  cease  altogether. 


CRUELTY  IN  AFRICA. 


IF  it  were  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  put  a  stop  to  the  cruelties  which 
abound  among  the  heathen  we  ought  to  give  them  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 


AFRICAN   KING  IN   STATE  ORESS. 

Some  very  sad  stories  of  cruelties  perpetrated  by  African  kings  have  recently 
been  given  to  the  world.  The  distinguished  African  traveler,  Dr.  Emil  Holub, 
in  his  volumes  just  published,  entitled  Stzw  Years  in  South  Africa,  gives  an 
account  of  Sepopo,  King  of  the  Marutse  tribe,  who  live  north  of  the  river  Zam- 


20 


Cruelty  in  Africa. 


besi.  Sepopo's  town,  Sesheke,  had  been  burned,  and  a  new  Sesheke  was  to 
be  built.  We  will  give  in  Dr.  Holub's  own  words  the  story  of  a  little  boy 
whose  cruel  murder  was  planned  by  Sepopo,  with  the  notion  that  in  this  way 
his  new  town  would  be  made  more  fortunate. 


"  Sepopo  brought  it  about  that  a  resolution  should  be  passed  by  his  secret 
tribunal  to  the  effect  that  in  order  to  save  the  new  town  from  the  fate  of  the 
old,  the  son  of  one  of  the  chiefs  should  be  killed  ;  but  that  his  toes  and  fingers 
should  first  be  cut  off,  and  preserved  as  a  charm  in  a  war  drum.  In  spite  of 


Cruelty  in  Africa.  21 

the  secrecy  which  was  enjoined,  the  rumor  of  the  resolution  came  to  one  of  the 
chiefs,  who  communicated  it  privately  to  many  of  his  friends.  This  was  about 
the  end  of  September,  when  Blockley  was  the  only  white  man  left  in  Sesheke. 
Night  after  night  groups  of  men  were  to  be  seen  stealthily  making  their  way- 
past  his  quarters  to  the  woods  ;  they  were  the  servants  of  the  chiefs,  carrying 
away  the  young  boys  whither  they  hoped  to  have  them  out  of  the  tyrant's 
reach,  and  some  little  time  elapsed  before  either  the  king  or  his  executioner  was 
aware  of  the  steps  that  were  being  taken  to  frustrate  the  bloody  order. 

"  The  appointed  day  arrived.  Mashoku's  emissaries  were  sent  to  ascertain 
from  which  of  the  chieftain's  enclosures  a  victim  might  most  readily  be  pro- 
cured, but  one  by  one  they  returned,  and  reported  that  not  a  child  was  to  be 
found.  At  last,  however,  one  of  the  men  brought  word  that  he  had  seen  a 
solitary  boy  playing  outside  his  father's  fence.  Apprised  of  this,  the  king  im- 
mediately sent  directions  to  the  father  to  go  out  at  once  and  procure  some  grass 
and  reeds  for  a  hut  that  he  was  building,  and  then  charged  Mashoku  to  lose  no 
time.  As  soon  as  he  had  satisfied  himself  that  the  man  had  left  his  home, 
Mashoku  sent  his  messenger  to  fetch  the  child  to  the  royal  courtyard,  where, 
although  the  place  was  full  of  people,  a  perfect  silence  prevailed.  The  king 
was  in  a  terribly  bad  temper,  and  no  one  dared  to  breathe  a  word.  The  execu- 
tioner's assistant  made  his  way  to  the  abode  of  the  chief,  and  was  greeted  by 
the  mistress  of  the  house  with  a  friendly  '  rumela ; '  he  then  proceeded  to 
tell  her  that  the  kosana,  her  husband,  was  just  setting  out  in  his  canoe,  and 
that  he  had  sent  him  to  say  he  wished  his  little  son  to  go  with  him.  The  mother 
acquiesced,  and  the  boy  was  delighted  to  accompany  the  man,  who,  of  course, 
took  him  off  to  the  royal  courtyard,  where  a  sign  from  Mashoku  announced 
their  arrival  to  the  moody  king.  Sepopo  started  to  his  feet,  and  accompanied 
by  his  band  made  his  way  towards  the  river,  the  child  being  led  behind  him. 
Bewildered  as  the  poor  little  victim  was,  he  was  somewhat  reassured  by  the 
direction  they  were  taking ;  but  all  at  once  he  was  alarmed  by  the  shrieks  of  a 
chieftain's  wife,  whose  house  they  were  passing,  and  who,  knowing  the  purpose 
on  which  they  were  bent,  cried  out  in  horror. 

"  At  the  river  the  whole  party,  numbering  nearly  seventy,  embarked  and 
crossed  to  the  opposite  side.  The  myrimbas  were  left  behind,  but  the  large 
drums  were  taken  over.  Shortly  after  landing  the  king  seated  himself  on  a  little 
stool ;  he  made  the  executioner,  a  few  of  his  own  personal  attendants,  and  the 
members  of  his  secret  council,  form  an  inner  circle  ;  beyond  them  he  placed 
the  drummers  ;  and  outside  these  he  ordered  the  rest  of  the  company  to  group 
themselves  so  as  to  conceal  from  the  town  the  deed  that  was  being  perpetrated. 
The  poor  boy  by  this  time  had  almost  fainted  from  fear  ;  but  when,  at  a  nod 
from  the  king,  the  executioners  seized  him,  he  began  to  scream  aloud  with  ter- 
ror. The  drummers  were  ordered  to  play  with  all  their  might,  so  that  the 
piteous  shrieks  should  not  be  heard  ;  several  assistants  were  then  summoned  to 
hold  the  child,  so  that  resistance  was  impossible,  and  the  two  doctors  set  them- 
selves deliberately  to  work  to  amputate  finger  after  finger  and  toe  after  toe. 

"No  drumming  could  drown  the  heart-rending  cries  of  the  sufferer.  The 
people  of  Sesheke  could  hear  him,  in  the  midst  of  his  torture,  calling  out,  '  Ra, 
ra,  kame,  ra,  ra !  '  (Father,  O  my  father !)  and  '  umu  umu  bulaya,'  (they  are 
killing  me  !)  but  though  a  large  crowd  was  thus  made  aware  of  what  was  going 
on,  no  one  dared  to  raise  a  hand  to  rescue  the  miserable  sufferer. 


22  Cruelty  in  Africa. 

"  When  the  doctors  had  finished  their  cruel  operation,  the  hapless  boy  was 
strangled,  and  knocked  on  the  head  with  a  kiri.  The  whole  party  then  returned 
to  their  boats,  which  were  pushed  off  into  mid-stream,  where,  as  if  by  accident, 


they  were  joined  into  a  circle  ;  but  in  reality  with  the  design  of  concealing  the 
corpse  as  it  was  dropped  into  the  water.  Meanwhile  the  weeping  mother  had 
made  her  way  down  to  the  bank,  and  regardless  alike  of  the  crocodiles  and  of 
the  displeasure  of  the  tyrant,  waded  into  the  stream,  and  demanded  her  son, 
her  darling  Mushemani.  But  to  Sepopo  a  mother's  grief  was  nothing;  he 
landed  quite  unconcerned,  and  proceeded  with  his  myrmidons  to  enjoy  his  pots 
of  butshuala,  while  the  doctors  stored  away  the  dismembered  toes  and  fingers 
in  a  war  drum." 


FAITHFUL  AFRICANS. 


THE  picture  below  represents  two  friends  of  the  great  missionary  and 
explorer,  David  Livingstone.  To  be  sure  Chumah  and  Susi  were  Livingstone's 
servants,  but  if 
ever  any  mor- 
tals deserve  the 
name  of  friends, 
they  do.  Their 
story  should  be 
told  every- 
where, not  alone 
to  their  honor, 
but  to  the  honor 
of  the  African 
race  to  which 
they  belong. 
Susi  became  at- 
tached to  Dr. 
Livingstone 
when  serving  as 
a  wood-cutter 
in  i  8  6  i,  on 
board  the  little 
steamer  "  Pio- 
neer," used  for 
exploring  the 
Shire'  River. 
Chumah,  when 
first  seen,  was  a 
lad  belonging 
to  a  party  of 
captive  slaves 
which  was  be- 
ing driven  by 
the  camp  where 
Livingstone 
and  Bishop  CHUMAH  AND  susi. 

Mackenzie  were   resting,   their  drivers   not   knowing   that   any   white   people 
were   near.      Livingstone   describes  these  drivers  as  marching  very  proudly, 


24  Faithful  Africans. 

dressed  in  all  the  finery  they  could  muster,  as  if  they  were  doing  some  very- 
noble    thing.     The    slaves  were   fastened    together  by  long  sticks,  having  a 


yoke  at  each  end  in  which  the  neck  of  a  poor  slave  was  securely  held.     The 
children  were  bound   by  chains  to  the  men   and  women.     So  the  long  sad 


Faithful  Africans.  25 

procession  moved  on,  until  the  drivers  caught  sight  of  the  white  men,  when  they 
darted  like  mad  for  the  forest.  Dr.  Livingstone  and  his  companion  soon  cut 
the  cords  which  bound  the  captives  to  their  yokes,  and  set  them  free.  The 
poor  slaves  knew  not  what  to  make  of  such  kindness  They  had  never  seen 
anything  like  it.  One  little  boy  said,  "  The  others  tied  us  and  starved  us  :  you 
cut  the  ropes  and  tell  us  to  eat.  What  sort  of  people  are  you  ?  Where  did  you 
come  from  !  "  Chumah  was  one  of  these  released  slaves  who  were  kindly  treated 
and  placed  under  instruction  at  the  mission  station  at  Chibisa's.  Afterwards 
Chumah  went  to  India  with  Dr.  Livingstone,  and  was  placed  in  a  mission  school 
there.  Two  years  later,  in  1866,  Susi  and  Chumah  formed  part  of  the  company 
of  thirty-six  persons  with  whom  Livingstone  set  out  from  Zanzibar  for  the 
interior  of  Africa,  upon  what  proved  to  be  his  last  journey.  Many  of  this  com- 
pany proved  faithless  and  worse  than  useless,  but  these  two  could  always  be 
depended  upon.  Oftentimes  Livingstone  would  have  been  utterly  helpless 
without  them,  but  they  looked  up  to  him  as  master,  and  seemed  to  love  him  and 
care  for  him  as  a  father.  No  matter  what  the  hardships  of  the  long  seven 
years'  journey  were,  they  seemed  as  much  interested  in  their  master's  plans  as 
they  would  have  been  had  they  been  his  own  sons.  They  carried  him  on  their 
shoulders  over  rivers  and  morasses.  When  he  grew  weak  so  that  he  could  not 
walk,  they  saw  that  he  was  borne  as  gently  as  possible  in  a  "  kitanda,"  or  palan- 
quin, which  they  constructed.  The  picture  on  the  opposite  page  shows  the 
"  kitanda,"  from  which  Dr.  Livingstone  is  being  carried  by  his  faithful  friends 
into  the  hut  at  Ilala,  where  he  died,  May  i,  1873. 


AFTER    THEIR    MASTER'S    DEATH. 

But  Chumah  and  Susi  were  faithful  to  their  master  after  his  death.  In  the 
midst  of  their  deep  grief  they  felt  that  his  body  ought  to  be  embalmed  and  sent, 
together  with  the  records  he  had  made  of  his  discoveries,  to  his  home  in  Eng- 
land. They  at  once  determined  to  pay  this  honor  to  him  whom  they  loved  so 
much.  It  was  a  very  difficult  undertaking  ;  some  said  it  was  impossible  ;  it  actu- 
ally took  them  nine  long  months  to  reach  the  coast  with  their  precious  burden. 
The  first  difficulty  they  foresaw  would  arise  from  the  superstitious  notion  of  the 
native  tribes,  that  to  carry  a  dead  body  through  their  territory  would  bring  dis- 
aster. It  was  doubtful  whether  these  tribes  would  permit  them  to  pass.  Hence 
it  was  necessary  to  conceal  the  nature  of  their  burden.  The  picture  on  the 
next  page  shows  the  village  built  under  the  direction  of  Chumah  and  Susi,  in 
which  their  company  lived  while  they  were  preparing  the  body  for  transportation. 
On  the  left  of  the  picture  you  will  see  a  round  hut  open  to  the  sky.  It  was 
strongly  built,  so  that  no  wild  beast  could  enter.  Here  they  embalmed  the  body 
as  best  they  could,  exposing  it  to  the  sun  for  two  whole  weeks,  keeping  close 
watch  by  night  and  day.  Then  wrapping  it  carefully  in  bark  and  cloth,  and 
making  it  look  as  much  as  possible  like  a  bale  of  goods,  they  took  up  their  long 
and  sad  march  to  the  coast.  It  was  a  hard  and  perilous  journey.  Many  tried 
to  persuade  them  to  give  up  their  purpose.  But  nothing  could  turn  them  aside 
from  their  determination  to  do  what  they  might  for  their  master,  even  though  he 
were  dead,  and  with  loving  hands  they  brought  his  body  over  land  and  sea, 
so  that  England  might  bury  it  with  honor  in  Westminster  Abbey.  Are  there 


26 


Faithful  Africans. 


many  white  men  who  would   have  been  as  faithful  ?     Is  not  the  race  to  which 
these  noble  men  belong  worth  saving  ?     Shall  we  not  do  what  we  can  to  give 


them  all  the  gospel  of  Christ  ?     Chuma,  when  last  heard  from,  was  guiding  an 
exploring  party  on  its  way  to  Umzila's  kingdom. 


AFRICAN  PRINCES  IN  ENGLAND. 


MTESA,  the  Emperor  of  Uganda,  a  territory  in  the  very  centre  of  Africa,  received 
Christian  missionaries  less  than  nine  years  ago,  and  about  six  years  ago  he  sent 
three  envoys  to  England,  that  they  might  see  and  report  about  the  country  from 
which  the  missionaries  came.  They  reached  London  in  April,  1880,  and  their 
presence  awakened  much  interest.  The  Juvenile  Instructor  of  the  Church 


UMOYAMUHLE.     UMZILA'S   KRAAL. 


Missionary  Society  has  a  picture  of  the  three  princes,  which  is  reproduced  on 
the  next  page.  Their  names  are  Namkaddi,  Kataruba,  and  Sawaddu,  and 
they  are  fine-looking  fellows.  How  the  sights  of  England  must  have  surprised 
them  !  They  had  never  before  seen  a  building  of  more  than  one  story  in  height. 
Of  course  they  knew  nothing  of  railroads  or  steamboats ;  indeed  they  never 
saw  in  their  own  country  so  much  as  a  road  on  which  a  wagon  could  pass. 


28  African  Princes  in  England. 

Two  things  in  England  are  said  to  have  chiefly  excited  their  wonder :  first,  so 
many  churches  with  their  spires  pointing  to  heaven  ;  and  next,  the  animals  in 
the  London  Zoological  Gardens.  Many  of  these  animals,  like  the  elephant  and 


ENVOYS    FROM    UGANDA. 


the  hippopotamus,  these  men  often  saw  in  their  wild  state,  but  to  find  them 
caged  and  tamed  and  kept  as  a  show  was  a  boundless  surprise.  These  envoys 
have  now  returned  to  their  home  in  Africa.  They  have  had  such  a  kindly 


African  Princes  in  England.  29 

reception  in  England,  having  been  welcomed  by  the  Queen  and  by  many 
eminent  men,  that  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  will  go  back  with  a  story  that  will  con- 
vince the  Emperor  and  people  of  Uganda  that  the  missionaries  who  are  labor- 
ing among  them  came  from  a  wonderful  land,  and  on  an  errand  of  love. 

What  a  contrast  there  is  between  Africa  and  a  Christian  country,  like  Eng- 
land or  the  United  States !  The  picture  below  shows  how  women  are  treated 
in  Western  Africa.  They  are  only  slaves,  doing  the  hardest  and  roughest  work. 
Men  buy  them  for  wives,  and  he  who  has  the  greatest  number  is  most  honored. 


WOMEN    IN    AFRICA. 

A  common  price  paid  for  a  wife  is  three  cows,  a  goat,  and  a  little  crockery 
ware,  the  whole  value  not  exceeding  $20.  If  the  husband  dies,  his  wives  belong 
to  his  brother,  or  are  transferred  like  any  other  property.  Where  women  are  so 
treated  of  course  there  can  be  no  home  ;  the  children  know  nothing  of  kindly 
care  from  either  father  or  mother.  If  these  envoys  from  Uganda  should  go 
back  and  tell  of  what  they  had  seen  in  the  Christian  homes  of  England,  of 
gentle  fathers  and  mothers  and  of  happy  children,  it  would  seem  as  if  the  men 
and  women  of  the  "  Dark  Continent  "  would  listen  to  the  gospel  as  it  is  brought 
them  by  the  missionaries. 

Men  will  not  be  made  pure  or  happy  till  their  hearts  are  changed,  and  nothing 
can  change  their  hearts  except  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  The  African 
savages  who  have  seen  the  wonders  of  a  civilized  land  cannot  say  or  do  any- 
thing to  help  those  to  whom  they  return  to  be  better  than  they  now  are,  only  as 
they  convince  them  that  Christ  is  a  mighty  Saviour  and  the  Bible  a  sure  guide. 
Let  us  hope  that  the  visit  of  these  envoys  may  lead  them  to  take  back  this  mes- 
sage to  Uganda. 


MTESA,  EMPEROR  OF  UGANDA. 


THE  noted  monarch  of  Central  Africa,  whose  capital  was  Rubaga,  on  Lake 
Victoria  Xyanza,  died  in  1884.  Rumors  of  his  death  were  circulated  for  some 
time  before  it  actually  took  place;  his  real  condition  being  kept  secret. 
Some  very  interesting  facts  respecting  this  remarkable  sovereign,  and  the  method 
of  choosing  his  successor  whenever  he 
dies,  are  given  in  two  interesting  volumes, 
recently  published  hi  London,  entitled 
^L'ganda  and  the  Egyptian  Soudan," 
by  Messrs.  Wilson  and  Felkin.  mission- 
aries of  the  English  Church  Missionary 
Society  at  Rubaga.  Mr.  Felkin  was 
physician  to  Mtesa  for  many  months,  and 
enjoyed  many  privileges  at  the  dusky  mon- 
arch's court.  This  is  what  he  says  about 
the  peculiar  laws  regarding  the  succession 
to  the  throne  :  — 

"When  a  king  dies,  his  successor  is 
chosen  from  among  the  deceased  monarch's 
children,  by  the  three  hereditary  takungee 
(or  principal  chiefs),  with  whom  alone  the 
choke  rests.  A  child  is  always  elected, 
and  during  his  minority  his  mother,  if 
living,  acts  as  queen  regent,  and,  with 
the  assistance  of  these  three  nobles, 
governs  the  country,  the  young  king  being 
meanwhile  trained  up  in  the  traditions 
of  his  ancestors.  Should,  however,  the 
three  nobles  not  agree  in  the  choice  of  a 

successor,  they  go  to  war  about  it,  and  the  victor  places  his  nominee  on  the  throne. 
The  reason  of  this  singular  law  is,  no  doubt,  to  prevent  intrigues  during  the 
king's  lifetime.  The  brothers  of  the  king  elected  are  kept  in  confinement  during 
his  minority,  and  when  he  comes  of  age  all  are  burnt,  with  the  exception  of  two 
or  three  who  are  preserved  to  keep  up  the  succession  in  case  the  young  sovereign 


32  Mtesa^  Emperor  of  Uganda. 

should  die  childless.  The  children  of  the  king  have  no  rank  on  account  of  their 
birth,  and  the  princesses  are  not,  as  a  rule,  allowed  to  marry,  only  a  few  of 
Mtesa's  unmarried  daughters  having  been  given  as  wives  to  neighboring  kings, 
or  to  the  great  nobles  of  Uganda." 

Some  four  years  ago  Mtesa  told  Mr.  Felkin  that  he  had  seventy  sons  and  eighty- 
eight  daughters,  but  that  he  did  not  know  how  many  wives  he  possessed.  His 
people  said  he  had  seven  thousand.  Think  what  an  enormous  establishment 
he  must  have  at  his  court  with  his  retinue  of  chiefs  and  servants,  in  addition  to 
his  wives  and  children  ! 

When  Mr.  Felkin  first  saw  Mtesa,  he  lay  on  a  rich  carpet,  supported  by  spotless 
linen  cushions.  He  describes  him  as  a  man  not  far  from  forty-five  years  of  age, 
tall,  slender,  and  graceful,  having  a  well-formed  face,  with  large  languid  eyes, 
usually  dull,,  but  often  lighted  up  with  a  good  deal  of  fire.  He  has  been  a  great 
sufferer  from  bodily  ills,  and  much  of  the  fickleness  for  which  he  has  been 
noted  has  doubtless  been  the  result  of  his  poor  health.  But  his  sickness  has 
had  one  good  effect,  in  making  him  somewhat  more  merciful.  The  remark  was 
often  heard  at  Rubaga :  "  If  Mtesa  were  well,  you  would  soon  see  some  execu- 
tions." These  African  monarchs  fear  that  they  shall  lose  control  over  their 
subjects  unless  they  exhibit  their  power,  in  acts  of  cruelty.  Mtesa  keeps  a  small 
army  of  executioners,  and  one  of  this  band  is  always  near  his  person.  If  ever 
he  dreams  of  any  of  the  gods  of  his  country,  he  imagines  that  they  are  angry 
with  him  and  must  be  appeased.  He  therefore  immediately  offers  human 
sacrifices,  sometimes  to  the  number  of  several  hundred. 

The  people  of  Uganda,  called  Waganda,  are  superior  to  most  African  tribes. 
They  are  peculiar  in  this,  certainly,  that  they  are  always  clothed,  the  penalty  for 
appearing  in  the  public  roads  without  proper  apparel  being  death.  Their  country 
is  directly  under  the  equator.  Yet  the  temperature  does  not  rise  above  ninety 
degrees  Fahrenheit,  in  the  shade.  Mr.  Wilson  estimates  the  population  of 
Uganda  at  about  five  millions. 

The  religion  of  the  Waganda  may  be  called  devil-worship.  They  believe 
in  a  Supreme  God  who  made  all  things,  but  they  do  not  worship  him,  because 
they  regard  him  as  quite  unconcerned  about  his  creatures.  But  evil  spirits,  called 
lubari,  are  supposed  to  dwell  in  particular  places,  and  are  to  be  feared  and  their 
anger  averted.  Chief  of  these  lubari  is  the  spirit  of  their  great  lake,  Victoria 
Nyanza.  This  spirit,  they  believe,  occasionally  enters  the  body  of  some  man 
or  woman,  who  then  has  great  power  to  bless  or  curse.  Not  long  ago  a  woman, 
who  claimed  to  be  this  lubari  of  the  lake,  frightened  Mtesa  out  of  his  new  faith. 
He  had  openly  rejected  the  old  superstitions  of  his  people,  and  called  himself 
a  Christian.  Then,  under  Arab  influence,  he  professed  to  be  a  Mohammedan. 
But  when  this  woman  came,  claiming  to  be  the  lubari,  he  announced  that  the 
foreign  religions  were  all  false,  and  that  henceforth  he  should  know  no  religion 
but  that  of  his  ancestors.  Happily,  so  f.ir  at  least  as  the  opening  for  missionary 
labor  in  Uganda  is  concerned,  he  not  long  ago  changed  his  mind,  and  again 
listened  with  interest  to  the  teachings  of  the  Christian  missionaries,  allowing  his 
people  also  to  be  taught.  Many  of  the  Waganda  seem  to  be  prepared  to  receive 
the  gospel,  and  a  few  have  been  really  converted  to  Christ. 


Aftesa,  Emperor  yf  Uganda. 


33 


A  recent  number  of  the  Church  Missionary  Intelligencer  contains  the  journal 
of  Mr.  Mackay,  giving  the  story  of  a  year  of  missionary  life  at  Rubaga.  Among 
other  matters  referred  to  is  the  death  and  burial,  in  May,  1882,  of  Namasole, 
the  mother  of  Mtesa.  The  Emperor  asked  Mr.  Mackay  to  make  a  copper  coffin 


for  the  queen  and  to  assist  in  the  funeral  ceremonies.  He  gives  the  following 
account  of  the  affair :  — 

"The  grave  was  a  huge  pit,  some  20  feet  by  15  at  the  mouth,  and  30  deep. 
It  was  dug  in  the  centre  of  the  late  queen's  chief  house  —  a  monstrous  hut, 
some  150  feet  in  diameter,  as  usual  all  roof  with  no  walls,  and  a  perfect  forest 
of  poles  inside,  the  centre  ones  being  good  enough  for  frigate  masts. 

"Nearly  all  the  excavated  gravel  had  been  carried  away,  while  the  monster 
pit  was  neatly  lined  all  round  with  bark-cloth.  Into  this  several  thousand  new 


34  Mtesat  Emperor  of  Uganda. 

bark-cloths  were  thrown,  and  carefully  spread  on  the  bottom,  filling  up  the  hole 
a  long  way.  Then  the  segments  of  the  huge  box  were  lowered  in  with  much 
trouble.  I  descended,  and  nailed  the  corners  together.  After  that  I  was  sum- 
moned to  the  ceremony  of  putting  the  corpse  into  the  first  coffin.  Thousands 
of  women  were  yelling  with  all  their  might,  and  a  few  with  tears  in  their  eyes. 
Only  the  ladies  of  the  royal  family  were  near  the  corpse,  which  by  this  time  had 
been  reduced  to  a  mummy  by  constantly  squeezing  out  the  fluids  with  rags  of 
bark-cloth.  It  was  wrapped  in  a  new  mbugu,  and  laid  on  the  ground.  The 
chiefs  half  filled  the  nicely  padded  coffin  with  bufta  (bleached  calico),  then 
several  bunches  of  petty  charms  belonging  to  the  queen  were  laid  in  ;  after  that 
the  corpse  ;  and  then  the  coffin  was  filled  up  with  more  bufta.  Kyimbugwe,  Kunta, 
and  the  other  chiefs  in  charge  carried  the  coffin  to  the  court  where  the  grave- 
liouse  was,  when  much  more  yelling  took  place.  I  screwed  the  lid  down ;  but 


MISSION    PREMISES,    RUBAGA. 

such  was  the  attachment  of  some  of  the  royal  ladies  to  the  deceased,  that  I  had 
to  get  them  peremptorily  ordered  away,  with  their  crying  and  tears  and  hugging 
of  the  coffin,  before  I  could  get  near  to  perform  my  duties  as  undertaker. 

"  Then  came  the  copper  coffin,  into  which  the  other  was  lowered  by  means 
of  a  huge  sheet.  Thousands  of  yards  of  unbleached  calico  (shirtings)  were  then 
filled  in,  round  and  over  the  copper  coffin,  until  the  big  box  was  half  full.  The 
remainder  was  filled  up  with  bark-cloths,  as  also  all  the  space  round  the  outside 
of  the  box.  The  lid  was  lowered,  and  I  descended  once  more  to  nail  it  down. 
Several  thousand  more  of  mbugus  were  then  laid  on  till  within  three  feet  of  the 
surface,  when  earth  was  thrown  in  to  the  level  of  the  floor. 

"  We  returned  at  dusk,  but  the  burying  was  not  completed  till  nearly  midnight. 
Next  morning,  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  land  had  his  head  shaved, 
and  put  off  his  mourning  dress  of  tattered  mbugus  and  belt  of  plantain-leaf." 

The  missionaries  estimated  the  value  of  the  cloth  buried  in  the  grave  of 
Namasole  at  not  far  from  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  If  such  a  lavish  display 
was  made  at  the  burial  of  a  queen,  what  would  be  done  on  the  death  of  the  king 
himself ! 


AN    AFRICAN    TEPCiA 


A  "MORNING  STAR"  IN  AFRICA.-1883. 


ALL  the  young  stockholders  in  our  missionary  ship  will  be  interested  to  hear 
of  another  Morning  Star,  recently  built,  and  now  in  actual  service  in  the  heart 
of  Africa.  It  is  not  a  great  affair  in  itself,  a  lifeboat,  only  thirty-two  feet  long 
and  eight  feet  wide ;  but  it  is  made  of  steel,  and  as  the  importance  of  boats 
is  not,  any  more  than  the  importance  of  people,  measured  by  their  size,  it  is  doing 
a  more  valuable  and  blessed  work  in  the  world  th:in  many  a  larger  craft.  It 
belongs  to  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and  is  used  in  missionary  service  on 
Lake  Tanganyika,  a  large  and  beautiful  inland  sea  in  Central  Africa,  the  southern 
portion  of  which  is  represented  in  a  picture  on  the  next  page,  taken  from 
"  Livingstone's  Last  Journals." 

The  Chronicle  of  the  London  Society,  December,  1883,  contains  an  interesting 
account  of  this  little  Morning  Star  (called  in  African  Nyota  ya  Assabui),  from 
its  hammering  out  in  the  English  workshops  to  its  launching  in  its  home  in  the 
beautiful  lake,  under  the  superintendence  of  Captain  Hore,  who  tells  the  story. 

This  steel  lifeboat  v/as  built  in  sections,  and  shipped  from  England  to  the 
East  coast  of  Africa,  and  then  carried  on  men's  shoulders  eight  hundred 
miles  inland  to  Ujiji,  on  Lake  Tanganyika.  This  was  an  undertaking  of  great 
difficulty ;  but  it  was  successfully  accomplished  through  the  skill  and  energy  of 
Captain  Hore,  for  the  huge  pieces  of  steel  might  easily  have  been  lost  in  some 
African  swamp  or  river.  Captain  Hore  thus  describes  the  way  they  crossed  the 
Malagarasi  River,  sixty  miles  from  Ujiji,  with  its  vast  swampy  shores : 
"Right  in  front,  and  a  little  below,  stretches  a  great  level  plain,  appar- 
ently uniformly  covered  with  long  bright  green  grass,  and  diversified  only 
by  a  few  regular  mounds,  covered  with  the  same  grass  —  these  are  anthills. 
North  the  vast  plain  seems  to  continue  as  far  as  eye  can  reach.  Very  beautiful 


A    "Morning  Star'1''  in  Africa. 


A  "Morning  Star"  in  Africa.  37 

it  looks,  but  it  is  treacherous.  It  is  a  vast  swamp,  the  mounds  are  but  islands, 
and  in  the  midst  is  the  great  river."  After  wading  through  the  tall  grass,  higher 
than  their  heads,  and  sometimes  in  water  to  their  waist,  for  more  than  half  a 
mile,  they  reached  the  proper  river  bank.  Here  boats  were  waiting,  secured 
with  much  delay  and  difficulty  from  the  native  chiefs,  to  carry  them  over,  all  the 
odds  and  ends  of  cloth  being  used  up  for  fare.  The  camp  equipage  and  other 
baggage  were  taken  across  first,  and  the  precious  sections  of  the  Morning  Star 
left  for  the  last.  For  these,  two  of  the  largest  canoes,  twenty-two  feet  long,  built 
of  a  single  piece  of  bark,  pinched  together  at  the  ends,  were  taken,  and  two  stout 
poles  kid  across  them,  tightly  lashed  on,  upon  which  one  boat  section  at  a  time 
was  placed,  and  so  all  were  carried  safely  over. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  February,  one  hundred  and  five  days  after  leaving 
Saadani,  on  the  coast,  the  caravan  arrived  at  Ujiji.  Here  they  set  to  work  at  once 
to  put  the  vessel  together  and  launch  it  upon  the  lake.  This  was  successfully 
accomplished  on  Monday,  the  twenty-first  of  May.  The  account  of  this  we  must 
let  Captain  Hore  give  in  his  own  graphic  way  :  — 

"  As  the  boat  neared  completion,  she  was  daily  visited  by  people  of  many  tribes. 
She  was  the  sight  of  the  place ;  people  landing  from  boats  after  a  voyage  made 
first  to  the  white  man's  building  shed  ;  and  Wajiji  from  the  hills,  who  seldom  or 
never  visited  the  town,  came  down  to  see  the  wonderful  iron  canoe.  As  the  steel 
sides  grew  up,  the  natives  tapped  and  felt  in  silent  wonder;  the  Arabs  and 
\Vangwana  confessed  '  this  indeed  is  work.'  As  the  shell  of  the  boat  became 
filled  up  with  the  various  fittings,  the  excitement  and  wonder  increased,  and  when 
the  bulwark  and  rail  rose  up,  and  the  gold  stars  on  her  bows  shone  forth,  and 
inside  and  out  gleamed  with  paint  and  varnish,  she  was  pronounced  to  be  the 
most  wonderful  thing,  at  least  in  all  the  world  they  knew.  '  Those  Wangwana,' 
said  the  natives,  *  whose  work  we  used  to  wonder  at  and  admire,  where  are  they 
beside  such  work  as  this?  —  tut,  but  they  are  nowhere.' 

"  Early  on  Monday  morning  we  started  from  the  house,  with  our  men  carrying 
the  masts,  ropes,  and  all  gear  necessary  for  the  launch.  Blocks  had  already  been 
laid  from  the  shed  to  the  lake,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  feet.  A  stout  and 
long  rope  was  passed  around  the  boat  and  secured,  the  blocks  were  greased,  and 
we  only  waited  the  arrival  of  long-promised  help.  The  men  from  the  town, 
chiefly  Arabs'  slaves  and  followers,  arrived  first.  Then  in  the  far  distance  we 
saw  a  long  line  of  natives  approaching  along  the  beach.  Later  on  another  group 
arrived  from  Gungu,  and  so,  at  last,  we  mustered  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  or 
three  hundred  men.  A  smooth,  steady  drag  brought  the  boat  to  the  water's  edge, 
sliding  over  the  blocks  as  smoothly  as  could  be.  Here  the  mainmast  was  put 
in,  and  our  Mission  flag,  the  dove  with  olive  branch,  hoisted.  One  more  good  pull 
and  our  boat  was  afloat  upon  the  waters  of  Tanganyika  :  while  from  a  hundred 
African  throats,  she  was  pronounced  to  be  the  Nyota  ya  Assubui,  or  Morning 
Star.  Numbers  of  the  people  rushed  into  the  water,  firing  off  their  guns,  and 
dancing  and  shouting,  until  it  was  announced  that  the  promised  beef  was  to  be 
•  listributed. 

•'  The  Morning  Star  is  now  riding  at  anchor  off  the  town.  As  I  look  upon  her 
1  recall  to  mind  some  events  of  that  wonderful  journey  she  achieved  while  still 


2 8  A  "Morning  Star"   in  Africa. 

her  parts  were  separate.     All  those  parts  have  in  due  course  arrived;  the  work  ol 
erection  has  been  completed ;  and  there  she  rides,  the  last,  but  not  the  least  to 


be  remembered  of  our  mission  fleet — destined,  we  hope,  to  a  considerable  share 
in  the  conveyance  of  the  go'-d  n^ws  *o  all  the  twelve  tr.bes  of  Tanganyika." 


THE  NEW  MISSION  IN  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 

THE    KICST    KFPORT,  MADE    IN    1 88 1. 


He 


COMPARATIVELY  little  is  now  known  of  the  region  about  Bihe.  Between  the 
years  1873  and  1875,  Commander  Cameron,  of  the  British  navy,  accom- 
plished the  remarkable  feat  of  crossing  Africa  from  Zanzibar  to  Benguela. 
passed  through  Bihe,  and  in 
the  volume  descriptive  of  his 
journey,  entitled  Across  Africa, 
he  gives  a  glowing  account  of 
the  region  to  which  our  mis- 
sionaries are  going,  with  many 
illustrations  taken  on  the  spot. 
Through  the  kindness  of 
Messrs.  Harper  &  Brothers,  the 
publishers  of  the  volume,  some 
of  these  illustrations  will  ap- 
pear among  the  stories  we  are 
able  to  give  from  this  part  of 
Central  Africa. 

Benguela,  the  port  at  which 
our  missionaries,  Messrs.  Bag- 
ster,  Sanders,  and  Miller  land- 
ed November  13,  and  from 
which  they  hoped  soon  to  start 
for  the  interior,  is  the  coast 
town  at  which  Commander 
Cameron  arrived  after  his  long 
and  perilous  journey  across  the  continent.  The  Portuguese  claim  authority 
over  Benguela,  and  for  a  long  distance  inland,  but  practically  they  have  little 
power  away  from  the  coast.  Of  the  custom  house  Mr.  Bagster  writes  :  — 

"The  process  of  clearing  goods  from  the  custom-house  is  one  of  extreme 
slowness  and  detestable  delays.  If  the  officials  can  put  off  until  tomorrow 
what  ought  to  be  done  to-day,  they  will  certainly  do  so.  There  is  so  much  of 
ignorance  and  idiocy  that  yesterday,  when  clearing  the  case  of  guns,  etc., 
although  I  tolcl  them  four  or  five  times  that  there  was  danger  because  of  the 


CUSTOM-HOUSE  AT  BENGUELA. 


40  The  New  Mission  in  Central  Africa. 

loaded  cartridges  in  the  box,  and  although  I  would  not  stay  near,  they  per- 
sisted in  breaking  into  that  case  with  a  cold  chisel  and  big  hammer,  fortu- 
nately without  damage." 

Benguela  is  a  place  likely  to  be  often  mentioned  in  future  letters  from  West 
Central  Africa.  Mr.  Sanders  says  of  it :  "  There  are  in  the  town  about  two 
hundred  white  men,  and  a  few  hundred  blacks.  There  are  scarcely  any  white 
women  in  these  West  African  cities.  Generally  each  white  household  consists 
of  the  members  of  the  trading  firm,  with  whom  the  clerks  board  and  lodge, 
besides  many  black  servants.  This  state  of  society  gives  rise  to  much  immo- 
rality, drinking,  and  smoking.  Fever  seems  to  be  the  great  bugbear  here, 
though  at  present  it  is  as  healthy  as  can  be.  We  are  in  good  health  and  spirits, 
take  all  reasonable  precautions  against  sickness,  and  do  not  propose  to  worry 
about  the  fever  beforehand." 

It  seems  that  besides  its  custom-house  Benguela  has  a  court-house  and  a 


good  hospital,  and  a  church,  but  according  to  Commander  Cameron  the  church 
is  never  opened  except  for  baptisms  and  burials.  Mr.  Sanders  describes  the 
house  which  they  have  taken  for  one  month  while  they  are  getting  ready  to 
march  into  the  interior.  It  evidently  is  not  so  fine  as  the  house  of  the  French 
merchant  which  Cameron  saw  at  Catumbella,  a  few  miles  from  Benguela,  a 
picture  of  which  may  be  seen  on  the  opposite  page,  but  it  serves  their  purposes 
well.  Mr.  Sanders  says  :  "  The  house  has  three  rooms  and  an  entry.  One 
room  is  used  for  the  storage  of  our  heavy  boxes ;  the  next  is  the  dining-room  ; 
the  third  room  has  two  windows  without  any  glass,  and  here  we  sleep  and  write 
and  work.  The  floor  is  paved  with  stones,  but  if  any  sidewalk  in  Boston  were 
as  rough  the  newspapers  would  cry  out  at  once.  Our  household  now  consists, 
besides  ourselves,  of  two  %Cabinda  servants,  two  dogs,  many  rats,  more  mice, 


The  New  Mission  in  Central  Africa.  41 

most  of  all  fleas.  The  sea  breeze  commences  to  blow  into  our  front  windows 
certainly  by  the  middle  of  each  forenoon,  and  it  keeps  the  house  as  cool  and 
pleasant  as  can  be  desired,  even  at  the  hottest  part  of  the  day.  The  black 


people  here  are  most  miserable  in  appearance.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to  see 
fifty  of  them  without  finding  many  whose  toes  are  either  entirely  or  partly  gone, 
or  their  legs  much  swollen.  This  is  due  to  neglect  in  extracting  the  'jiggers,'  a 
kind  of  insect  which  burrows  under  the  skin  of  the  feet." 


42  The  New  Mission  in  Central  Africa. 

ON  TO  BIHE. 

From  Benguela  to  Bihe  is  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Bihe  is  not  a 
town  but  a  district,  the  chief  of  which,  at  the  time  of  Cameron's  visit,  was 
Kagnombe,  who  lived  in  a  town  bearing  his  name.  Cameron  says  it  was  the 
largest  town  he  saw  in  crossing  Africa.  This  place  Messrs.  Bagster,  Sanders, 
and  Miller  were  planning  to  reach  by  the  last  of  January,  and  we  hope  soon  to 
hear  of  their  successful  journey.  They  were  to  go  to  Catumbella,  to  wait  for 
caravans  coming  from  Bihe,  in  order  to  secure  porters,  like  those  represented 
on  a  preceding  page.  You  must  remember  that  money  does  not  pass  among 
these  Africans.  They  know  little  of  the  value  of  gold  and  silver,  and  therefore 
cloth,  beads,  and  trinkets  must  be  paid  in  exchange  for  whatever  is  bought  of 
the  natives.  The  chiefs  also  must  have  presents,  and  the  large  supplies  our 
missionaries  must  needs  take  with  them  will  call  for  quite  a  company  of  these 


THE     PEOPLE    OF    KISANJI. 

porters.  They  expect  also  to  use  donkeys,  though  the  way  is  very  rough,  and 
in  portions  very  steep.  The  land  rises  rapidly  as  the  coast  is  left,  and  the 
traveler  has  often  to  climb  on  his  hands  and  knees  along  the  rugged  path. 
One  of  Cameron's  camps  between  Bihe  and  Benguela  was  5,800  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  and  the  adjoining  hills  were  800  feet  higher. 

Only  two  days  out  from  Benguela  Cameron  met,  in  the  district  of  Kisanji, 
the  group  of  people  represented  above.  All  along  the  way  he  saw  fresh  clogs 
and  forks  such  as  are  used  in  fastening  slaves  while  they  are  being  driven  to 
market.  Graves  and  skeletons  were  visible  on  every  hand,  showing  that  the 
slave  trade  was  still  active  in  that  region.  It  is  to  bless  and  to  save  the  people 
of  Africa  who  have  suffered  so  much  from  the  horrible  traffic  in  slaves,  and  who 
are  now  so  ignorant  and  degraded,  that  our  missionaries  have  gone  to  preach 
the  gospel  among  them.  The  work  will  be  difficult,  but  our  brethren  are 
courageous  and  hopeful.  Will  you  not  think  about  them  and  pray  much  for 
them,  and  watch  for  their  success  ? 


ST.  PAUL   D£  LOAN  DA. 


FROM  BENGUELA  TO  BIHE.-1SS1. 


OUR  pioneer  missionaries  to  West  Central  Africa  have  many  novel  experi- 
ences on  the  inland  journey  from  Benguela  to  Bihe'.     The  road  is  a  mere  track, 


BIHEANS  CONSTRUCTING  A   HUT.* 

the  width  of  a  man's  bare  foot,  and  it  is  worn  deep  by  long  use,  like  a  wheel- 
rut.  The  natives  walk  at  ease  in  it,  but  the  deep  sides  proved  painfully  hard 
to  our  friends  who  wore  boots,  and  to  the  ox  which  Mr.  Bagster  rode.  The 
poor  animal's  feet  were  really  made  almost  raw. 

'  The  cuts  giro  in  this  article  are  from  Major  Serpa  Pinto's  Yahuble  book  on  Hea,  I  Crated  Africa,  and  for 
their  use  w*  are  indebted  to  the  pnb&hefs,  Means.  Lippincott  &  Co-,  of  Philadelphia. 


44 


From  Benguela  to  Bi 


Beautiful  indeed  upon  the  mountains  of  Bailundu  are  the  feet  of  our  brothers 
bearing  the  good  tidings  to  Africa,  but  as  yet  this  is  only  figuratively  speaking. 
Mr.  Sanders  and  Mr.  Miller  were  generally  obliged  to  ride  in  the  hammock- 
like  tepoia,  slung  on  the  shoulders  of  the  Bihe  carriers,  who  also  bear  all  their 
luggage. 

All  the  while  the  missionaries  were  slowly  climbing  from  the  coast  to  the  high 
lands  for  the  first  time,  they  had  great  opportunities  of  hearing  the  Bihe 
language  used  by  the  carriers.  It  is  called  "  Umbundu."  Mr.  Bagster  wrote 
that  the  natives  are  much  given  to  using  signs,  and  that  this  proved  a  help 
to  him.  For  instance,  to-morrow  is  nena  with  a  snap  or  two  of  the  fingers  in 
front,  and  yesterday  is  the  same  word  with  the  snap  or  two  backwards,  over 
the  shoulder. 

While  Mr.  Bagster  went  back  from  Bailundu  to  the  coast  for  some  delayed 
supplies,  Mr.  Sanders  and  Mr.  Miller  remained  encamped  in  Bailundu  studying 
the  language,  with  their  guide,  Barros,  who  speaks  Portuguese,  for  a  teacher. 
They  had  a  hut  built  behind  their  tent,  to  serve  as  dining-room,  and  another 
hut  at  a  little  distance  for  a  kitchen.  These  huts  are  constructed  very  quickly. 

Several  men  cut  the  poles,  and  others 
bring  the  long  grass,  and  in  an  hour 
the  neat  little  house  is  done.  In  the 
tent  were  the  beds  and  a  few  boxes. 
Hanging  from  the  ridge-pole  were  the 
lanterns,  umbrellas,  ropes,  and  guns. 
In  the  dining-room  were  the  little 
camp  folding-table,  or  stand,  the 
dishes,  and  the  food.  Tucked  away 
among  the  poles  were  a  variety  of 
cloths,  towels,  etc.  The  Bailundu 
King,  Kwikwi,  often  sent  them  sweet 
potatoes  and  corn  meal,  but  he  ex- 
pected a  good  present  in  return.  Mr. 
Sanders  says :  "  One  of  our  luxuries 
is  about  a  gill  of  goat's  milk,  night 
and  morning.  The  little  creatures 
are  not  accustomed  here  to  give  milk 
to  any  but  their  young.  Hence  our 
goat  is  not  very  generous.  The  na- 
One  able-bodied  man  holds  the  head  ;  another, 
standing  astride  and  grasping  the  hinder  legs,  lifts  the  goat  into  position  for  the 
third  sitting  behind  to  milk.  The  sight  and  the  despairing  cries  of  the  goat 
make  a  very  ludicrous  affair.  It  is  equaled  only  by  two  pigs  which  had  not 
enough  fat  to  fry  their  own  meat.  Tallow  had  to  be  added.  I  could  not  look 
at  the  bony  carcasses  without  laughing  at  the  idea  of  their  being  pigs." 

One  clay  in  camp  Mr.  Sanders  sang  the  chorus  of  "  Home,  home,  sweet 
sweet  home,"  to  Barros,  and  gave  him  the  meaning  in  Portuguese.  He  said 
these  people  had  a  similar  song.  Mr.  Sanders  took  down  the  Umbundu  version 
and  sent  this  literal  translation.  The  first  line  refers  to  the  wooden  stockades 
which  bar  the  way  to  their  villages. 


A   CARRIER   OF    BIHE. 

tive  style  of  milking  is  novel. 


Front  Benguela  to  Biht. 

"  At  our  village  the  entrance  is  crooked, 
The  family  there  are  not  crooked  ; 
From  our  village  the  foot  goes  forth, 
The  heart  never  departs  thence." 


These  missionaries  write  of  only  two  things  as  personal  trials,  though  they 
must  have  many  such.  First,  they  have  been  accustomed  to  speak  of  the 
Saviour's  love,  and  they  went  to  Africa  on  purpose  to  tell  those  savage  and 


46 


From  Bcnguela  to  Inlic. 


ignorant  men  the  truth  about  the  holy  God,  their  loving  Father,  who  has  sent  the 
Lord  Jesus  to  be  their  Saviour.  But  as  yet  their  mouths  are  shut,  and  prob- 
ably they  will  find,  even  when  they  know  that  strange  language  well,  great  diffi- 
culty in  expressing  spiritual  ideas  in  it.  Their  great  comfort  in  this  privation 
is,  as  one  of  them  says,  that  they  "  can  pray,  and  God  can  use  other  means  than 
our  words  by  which  to  answer." 

We  can  already  see  one  way  in  which  he  is  answering.  Their  true  and  pure 
lives  witness  for  God,  and  have  already  arrested  the  attention  and  awakened 
the  wonder  of  the  natives,  who  are  at  present  eager  to  receive  them,  and  under- 
stand that  they  have  come  to  teach,  and  not  to  trade. 


SERPA    PINTO'S    ENCAMPMENT  ON  THE    WAY   TO    BIHE. 

The  second  trial  of  which  the  missionaries  write  is  that,  loving  God's  house 
and  the  company  of  Christians  as  they  do,  they  are  now  deprived  of  these 
helps.  "  We  do  so  long  for  '  the  gates  of  Zion,'  "  says  one  of  them.  "  To  each 
one  it  would  be  a  great  boon  to  meet  with  a  congregation  of  God's  people. 
Three  are  a  small  assembly,  and  though  missionaries  we  do  not  at  all  times 
1  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles.'  You  doubtless  know  that  missionaries  lead 
every-day  lives  like  other  folks.  The  knowledge  that  so  many  prayers  are  daily 
offered  for  the  mission  strengthens  us." 


THE  WEST  CENTRAL  AFRICAN  MISSION  IN  1582. 


IT   was    after    long    delays   that   Bih£   was  reached   by  the   missionaries  of 

the    American    Board.     This    was    the    region    Messrs.  Bagster,  Sanders,  and 

Miller  set  out  for  in  1880,  leaving  Benguela,  on  the  sea-coast,  in  March,  1881. 

The    story    of    their    detention    in 

Bailundu,  two  hundred  miles  from 

the  coast,  and  fifty  miles  from  Bihe, 

is,  we  hope,  familiar  to  our  readers. 

King  Kwikwi,  of  Bailundu,  did  not 

want  them  to  go  on,  and  would  not 

furnish  them  with  necessary  carriers. 

So  they  stayed  at  Bailundu  and  built 

them  houses  for  a  station,  watching 

all  the  while  for  any  opportunity  to 

visit  Bih£,  to  see  if  a  good  opening 

for  a  mission  could  not  be  found 

there.     In  April,  1882,  Mr.  Sanders 

was  at   last  enabled   to   make   the 

journey,  and    wrote    home   at    the 

time  an  interesting  account  of  the 

place  and  people,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Missionary  Herald. 

This  region  of  Bih6  was  visited  in 

1877  by  a  Portuguese  traveler,  De  Serpa  Pinto,  and  in  his  entertaining  volumes, 
entitled  "  How  I  Crossed  Africa,"  he  gives  a 
graphic  story  of  what  he  saw  there.  Through 
the  kindness  of  Messrs.  Lappincott  &  Co.,  of 
Philadelphia,  the  publishers,  we  are  able  to  give 
several  illustrations  from  that  portion  of  Major 
Pinto's  work  which  relates  to  Bih£.  These 
pictures  of  a  Bihean  man  and  woman  are 
taken  from  real  life,  and  Pinto  saw  many  of 
the  women  digging  in  the  fields,  as  this  one 
is  doing.  The  men  have  good  forms,  and  are 
large  and  strong  and  brave,  and  though  sadly 
depraved,  thev  are,  in  the  opinion  of  this  trav- 

B\HE   WOMAN. 


A    BIHE    HEAD  DRESS 


48  The  West  Central  African  Mission  in  1 882. 

eler,  fitted  to  take  the  lead  of  all  other  peoples  in  Africa,  could  they  be  taught 
aright. 

The  villages  of  the  Biheans  are  usually  fortified,  not  as  a  protection  from 
wild  animals,  for  these  are  few,  but  to  resist  the  attacks  of  men.  Below  is  a 
plan  of  the  village  of  Belmonte,  which  Mr.  Sanders  speaks  of  visiting.  It  was 
the  place  where  Silva  Porto,  an  enterprising  Bihean,  once  lived.  The  outside 
line  represents  a  strong  wooden  stockade,  within  which,  at  regular  intervals,  are 
fine  sycamore  trees.  The  small  squares  represent  the  houses  of  the  people. 
Then  comes  another  row  of  sycamores  surrounding  the  large  inner  square,  or 
palisade.  Within  the  latter  are  pomegranates  and  orange  trees  and  roses,  with 


! 

~ 

1 

|       | 

1  1   1 

° 

1 

ja 

h 

•1 

Pi 

| 

«. 

?}!' 

ff\ 

a 

c>  "i 

<\ 

<l 

H 

K 

j8l 

r~ 

?  . 

«  «> 

^      1    1°' 

0 

—  l 

~ 

^ 

?  ft.     C 

^ 

-1^ 

^) 

'•{  (1  { 

fin 

* 

t»  /^  '! 

i 

1 

—  1 

3 

F 

]}  ^ 

3  <^ 

s>^ 

^Z>CZ> 

"*^    '*s~^~~^>^ 

ISPe 

w 

^ 
^ 

o, 

:  n^ 

Q. 

Q, 

• 

^           °» 

^ 

0, 

, 

q 

___ 

G- 

: 

1  J 

_ 

DD^ 

°^ 

° 

O 

0 

J 

PLAN    OF   THE   VILLAGE    OF    BELMONTE 

i.  Entrance  to  the  village.     2.  Entrance  to  Silva  Porto's  House.     3.  House.    4.  Interior  court-yard.    5.  Kitchen 
and  store-room.    6.  Servants'  house.     7.  Warehouse. 

gardens,  and  a  burying-place.  Silva  Porto's  house  (at  No.  3  above)  is  shown 
on  the  opposite  page.  This  is  a  finer  house  than  is  commonly  seen  in  Bihe, 
most  of  them  being  little  more  than  huts  made  of  wood  and  covered  with 
thatch. 

It  was  at  this  village  of  Belmonte  that  Serpa  Pinto  was  sick  for  a  long  time, 
and  here,  after  his  recovery,  he  laid  his  plans  and  made  his  preparations  for 
his  long  and  perilous  journey  across  Africa. 

The  Soba,  or  King  of  Bihe',  is  Chilemo  (Major  Pinto  spells  the  name  Quil- 
lemo),  and  Mr.  Sanders'  letter  shows  that  there  is  little  to  admire  in  this  sov- 
ereign. Under  the  king  are  seculos,  or  chief  men,  some  of  them  having 


T/ie  West  Central  African  Mission  in  1882. 


49 


lortified  villages  of  their  own,  who  are  to  all  intents  kings  over  their  own 
small  territories.  These  seculos  are  the  persons  with  whom,  for  the  present, 
our  missionaries  carry  on  their  dealings  with  the  natives,  for  they  act  as 


guides  and  business  agents.  As  soon  as  a  better  acquaintance  is  formed  with 
the  people  and  the  kings,  it  is  to  be  hoped  the  services  of  these  seculos  can  be 
dispensed  with. 


The  West  Central  African  Mission  in  1882. 


There  is  nothing  which  shows  more  clearly  the  character  of  the  Biheans  than 
their  treatment  of  women.  They  are  practically  slaves,  doing  the  hard  work. 
They  dig  in  the  ground  and  raise  the  corn,  which  is  one  of  the  chief  produc- 


GANGUELLA    BLACKSMITHS. 

tions.  Instead  of  grinding  the  corn  the  women  pound  it  in  a  mortar  in  the 
way  represented  below.  Polygamy  prevails  here  as  in  other  parts  of  Africa, 
and  the  men  seem  to  put  away  their  wives  whenever  they  are  pleased  to 
do  so. 

On  the  way  from  the  coast  to  Bihd  Major  Pinto  passed  among  the  Gangu- 

ellas,  the  near  neighbors  of  the 
Biheans,  and  much  like  them. 
Above  are  shown  some  of  these 
Ganguellas  at  their  forge,  where, 
notwithstanding  their  rude  bellows 
and  anvil,  they  make  very  good 
tools  and  weapons.  Though  these 
people  of  Africa  have  received  our 
missionaries  kindly,  and  offer  to 
let  them  stay  and  choose  any  spot 
they  please  on  which  to  build  their 
houses,  it  must  not  be  supposed 
that  they  care  anything  as  yet 
about  having  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  preached  to  them.  They 
have  no  wish  to  be  taught  about 
God.  But  as  Jesus  did  not  come 
to  earth  because  men  wanted  him, 
but  because  men  needed  him,  so 
BIHE  WOMEN  POUNDING  CORN.  our  missionaries  have  gone  to  Bai- 

lundu  and  Bihe.     Pray  God  to  guide  and  keep  them. 


CHRISTMAS  AT  BAILUNDU,  WEST  CENTRAL  AFRICA.  -183. 


BY    REV.    WESLEY    M.    STOVER. 


CHRISTMAS  has  come  and  gone,  and  the  young  people  who  read  the  Herald 
will  be  interested  to  know  how  we  observed  the  glad  day  at  this  new  missionary 
station  in  Central  Africa.  They  will  also  be  pleased  to  see  the  picture  of  our  mission 


MISSION    PREMISES    AT    BAILUNDU. 


premises  given  above.  The  view  here  presented  is  from  a  point  exactly  opposite 
that  from  which  the  one  in  the  Herald  for  June,  1882,  was  taken.  The  building 
on  the  right  is  Mr.  Fay's  house  :  that  on  the  left,  of  which  but  a  corner  is  seen, 
was  the  doctor's  office  :  the  next  beyond  is  Mr.  Miller's  house,  with  the  proprietor 
sitting  under  the  thatched  awning.  The  building  behind  the  fence  is  now  used 


52  CJiristmas  at  Bailundu,  West  Central  Africa. 

as  a  schoolhouse.  The  large-leaved  plants  are  bananas,  which  were  planted  by 
us  and  have  grown  up  within  two  years. 

At  our  Christmas  celebration  we  concluded  to  follow  the  scriptural  rule  and 
make  a  feast  for  those  who  could  not  feast  us  in  return.  So  we  killed  an  ox, 
dried  the  portion  suitable  for  drying,  and  the  rest  of  our  half  we  devoted  to  the 
boys.  Filling  the  wash-boiler  about  half  full  of  meat,  we  made  a  nice  rich  soup. 

Christmas  afternoon,  we  invited  all  the  children  to  Mr.  Walter's  house  and  had 
a  service  consisting  of  songs  and  prayer,  together  with  a  few  remarks  by  Mr. 
Sanders,  explaining,  as  best  he  could,  the  meaning  of  the  day,  and  our  joy  in  it, 
which  we  were  accustomed  to  manifest  by  giving  presents  to  each  other.  After 
this,  gifts  were  distributed  to  all,  from  Chikulu  to  the  babies.  Chikulu,  our  head 
man,  had  been  invited,  and  was  an  attentive  listener  to  all  that  was  said  and  to 
the  singing.  He  received  a  Zulu  shirt  and  a  blanket.  Our  house-servants 
received  each  a  suit  made  of  storehouse  goods ;  the  cattle-boys,  each  a  shirt 


TYPES    OF    WOMEN    IN    WESTERN    AFRICA. 

and  two  handkerchiefs,  and  others,  a  little  cloth  or  a  handkerchief;  while  the 
infants  were  made  glad  each  by  a  tin  horn,  which  they  all  proceeded  to  test 
at  once,  without  even  leaving  the  room,  causing  Chikulu  to  put  his  fingers  into 
his  ears. 

The  boys  arrayed  themselves  in  their  new  finery  and  proceeded  to  our  house, 
where  the  feast  was  spread.  There  were  three  tables.  At  one  of  them  sat 
Chikulu  and  our  seven  lads  in  their  striped  suits.  At  the  second  were  seated 
eight  more  lads,  who  either  were  or  had  been  in  our  employ.  At  the  third  stood 
ten  smaller  boys  and  girls,  who  favored  us  with  their  presence  for  the  day  only  ; 
while  the  infant  department,  numbering  about  eighteen,  were  seated  on  our  bed- 
room floor.  When  all  had  taken  their  places,  I  said  :  "Now,  let  us  thank  Suku." 
Instantly  every  head  was  reverently  bowed,  and  not  a  movement  or  sound  was 
made  during  the  saying  of  grace,  of  which  they  understood  not  a  word. 

Then  began  the  work  of  the  day.  I  remarked  to  Mrs.  Stover :  "  I  think 
mother  would  have  enjoyed  baking  a  chicken  for  this  occasion."  But  even  my 


Christmas  at  Bailundu,  West  Central  Africa. 


53 


dear  mother's  famous  baked  chicken  never  met  such  a  reception  as  did  our  plain 
soup  and  cornbread,  beef  and  beans.  How  you  would  have  laughed  and 
enjoyed  it,  could  you  have  looked  in  upon  us,  especially  in  the  bedroom,  and 
seen  the  bright  eyes,  and  heard  the  childish  expressions  of  satisfaction  which 
greeted  us  as  we  passed  back  and  forth,  serving  each  to  his  heart's  content, 
such  as  :  "  This  is  splendid  !  We  like  it  I  We  have  eaten  lots  !  We  are  tied  ! " 
this  last  being  their  way  of  saying  that  they  were  satiated. 

In  the  evening  Mr.  Walter  exhibited  the  magic  -  lantern,  which  was  witnessed 
by  a  houseful  of  people  with  great  interest  and  pleasure.     We  were  able  to 


AN    AFRICAN    CHIEFS    WIFE    TRAVELING. 

explain  some  of  the  pictures,  especially  the  scenes  in  the  life  of  Christ.     Chikulu 
wanted  also  to  see  Suku's  picture,  —  Suku  being  the  name  of  God. 

Thus  ended  this  Christmas  day  in  Africa,  the  results  of  which  eternity  alone 
will  reveal.  We  think  good  seed  was  sown,  which  fell,  not  by  the  wayside,  nor 
among  thorns,  nor  on  stony  ground,  but  into  soil  mellowed  by  God's  grace  and 
warmed  by  the  sunshine  of  his  love.  And,  by  the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
we  trust,  it  will  in  due  time  spring  up  and  bear  fruit,  "  some  thirty-fold,  some 
sixty,  some  a  hundred."  Indeed,  the  day  was  not  over  before  fruit  appeared. 
On  the  preceding  day,  it  seems,  Mrs.  Walter's  oldest  boy,  Kapila,  had  been 
offended  with  her  and  would  not  speak  to  her.  After  the  Christmas  dinner,  her 
two  boys  were  talking  over,  in  her  presence,  the  affairs  of  the  day,  and  especially 


54  -An  African  Trial. 

what  Mr.  Sanders  had  said  about  Jesus  Christ  and  our  sins,  when  Kapila,  turning 
to  Mrs.  Walter,  said,  in  a  very  penitent  tone  :  "  Yesterday  I  was  angry." 

I  hope  those  of  you  who  pray  will  pray  very  earnestly  for  these  dear  boys. 
They  rest  upon  our  hearts,  as  if  they  were  our  own  children,  and  they  know 
enough  to  become  Christians  every  one  of  them  ;  those,  I  mean,  who  are  among 
us  daily. 

A  few  days  ago  Esuvi,  Mrs.  Sanders's  lad,  son  of  Chikulu,  was  playing  on  our 
floor  with  our  little  Helen's  rubber  baby.  All  at  once  he  said :  "  Mr.  Stover, 
isn't  this  an  image?  Doesn't  the  book  of  Suku  say  you  must  not  make 
images?"  I  explained  that  this  was  a  mere  plaything,  and  not  an  image  to 
which  we  pray  as  we  do  to  Suku.  But  the  incident  shows  the  thoughtfulness  of 
these  heathen  lads.  And  we  hope  the  young  people  in  America,  who  read  this 
account  of  a  Christmas  day  in  Africa,  will  do  what  they  can  to  bring  to  all  the 
children  in  the  Dark  Continent  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 


AN  AFRICAN  TRIAL. 

THE  following  incident,  connected  with  Chikulu,  the  petty  chieftain  who  figures 
so  prominently  in  the  above  account,  is  reported  by  Dr.  Nichols,  formerly  of  the 
mission,  and  will  be  of  interest  as  showing  something  of  the  character  and 
manners  of  the  Africans. 

It  seems  that,  about  a  year  ago.  when  Chikulu  was  absent  from  his  home  and 
capital,  one  night  the  walls  of  his  hut  were  broken  down,  and  all  his  cloth,  of 
which  he  had  a  large  quantity,  was  stolen,  and  only  the  empty  box  and  the  ruined 
hut  remained.  Chikulu  of  course  was  frantic,  and  vowed  that  he  would  find  and 
punish  the  thief.  So  the  trial  by  "  casca,"  as  the  Portuguese  call  it,  was  held  in 
the  bush  near  the  village.  This  trial  consists  in  compelling  the  suspected  persons, 
under  the  direction  of  a  diviner,  to  drink  a  poisonous  drug,  which  it  is  supposed 
will  more  or  less  affect  the  guilty,  while  the  innocent  will  escape  unharmed. 
Most  of  the  village,  missionaries  and  all,  went  out  to  see  the  process  and  the 
result. 

The  poison  was  prepared  with  elaborate  ceremony,  and  four  men,  representing 
the  four  divisions  of  the  village,  were  selected  to  drink  it.  Two  of  these  preferred 
to  drink  by  proxy,  each  selecting  a  slave-boy  to  take  his  dose.  And  also,  as  the 
custom  is,  the  diviner  himself  had  to  take  the  draught.  Greatly  to  the  surprise 
of  all,  this  diviner,  named  Kasandola,  was  the  only  one  at  all  affected  by  the 
poison.  But  his  prominence  gave  him  the  right  to  a  new  trial,  which  was 
appointed  for  the  next  day. 

In  the  evening  Chikulu  came  quietly  to  Dr.  Nichols  and  tried  to  induce  him 
to  officiate  as  medicine-man  at  the  new  trial.  Think  of  it,  a  Yankee  missionary 
doctor  acting  as  diviner  in  the  African  superstitions  !  The  doctor  of  course 
politely  declined,  explaining  to  the  incredulous  Chikulu  that  no  medicines,  his 
or  any  other,  had  any  power  in  the  direction  he  desired. 

The  second  trial  was  held  in  a  wood  some  eight  miles  southeast  of  the  village, 
and  resulted  in  the  conviction  of  Kasandola,  the  diviner  at  the  previous  trial. 
"  It  is  satisfactory  to  know,"  says  Dr.  Nichols,  "  that  he  was  convicted,  not  by 
the  medicine,  but  by  sound  evidence." 


TWO  NOTED  ZULUS.- 1854. 

BY    REV.   S.    C.    PIXLEV,    INANDA,    NATAL,    SOUTH    AFRICA. 


HERE  are  pictures  of  two  Zulu  men,  James  Dub£  and  Cetywayo,  whose  names 
will  not  soon  be  forgotten.  In  some  respects  they  much  resembled  each  other ; 
in  other  and  more  important  characteristics  they  were  widely  separated. 

Both  were  born  in  heathenism,  of  the 
same  race,  about  the  same  time,  on  the 
shore  of  the  "  Dark  Continent."  Both 
were  of  royal  blood,  descendants  of 
chiefs  noted  in  war,  with  no  written 
history  indeed,  but  whose  names  are 
household  words  in  Zululand.  Both 
by  nature  were  well  endowed,  of  large 
stature,  of  commanding  appearance, 
fitted  to  control  others,  and  bidding 
fair  to  live  many  years. 

But,  while  they  were  so  much  alike 
in  these  respects,  in  other  and  more 
important  points,  in  their  aims  of  life, 
in  character  and  work,  they  differed 
widely.  Dube  died  some  six  years  ago, 
beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him.  And  now  comes  a  report  that 
Cetywayo  has  died,  a  previous  rumor 
to  the  same  effect  having  proved  false. 
The  contrast  between  the  two  men  is 
interesting  and  instructive. 

James  Dube,  upon  the  death  of  his 
father  by  violence,  while  yet  a  child, 
fled  with  his  mother  from  his  early 
home  in  Zululand  to  Natal,  to  escape 
from  the  persecutions  of  the  tryannical  king  of  the  Zulus.  Providentially  he 
arrived  there  at  the  time  when  the  pioneer  missionary,  Rev.  Daniel  Lindley, 
commenced  his  labors  at  the  Inanda  station.  The  mother  of  James,  Dalida 
Dube,  early  became  interested  in  the  truth,  and  was  one  of  the  first  converts 
among  the  Zulu  people.  She  still  lives,  showing,  in  her  old  age,  the  power  of 
the  gospel  to  elevate  and  save  heathen  women. 

Her  son  James  was  placed  in  the  family  of  the  good  missionary,  where  he 


REV.  JAMES    DUBE. 


56  Two  Noted  Zulus. 

enjoyed  the  instructions,  and  came  under  the  influence,  of  the  now  sainted  Mrs. 
Lindley.  He  early  gave  evidence  of  having  become  a  true  Christian.  He 
improved  his  privileges  so  well,  and  made  such  good  progress  in  gaining  knowledge, 
that  he  was  soon  employed  in  teaching  the  station  school.  In  this  useful  work 
he  continued  some  years,  spending  his  time  during  the  week  in  teaching,  and  going 
out  on  the  Sabbath  to  teach  and  preach  among  the  kraals  away  from  the  station. 
Occasionally,  when  the  missionary  was  obliged  to  be  absent  from  the  station 
on  the  Sabbath,  he  was  engaged  to  preach  at  home.  In  this  work  he  was  so 

successful,  and  so  accept- 
able to  the  people,  that, 
when  the  missionary  was 
called  to  leave  the  station 
altogether,  Mr.  Dub£  was 
unanimously  chosen  to  be 
their  pastor.  Having  been 
ordained,  he  labored  zeal- 
ously for  more  than  seven 
years,  not  only  for  the  good 
of  the  station  people,  but 
for  the  salvation  of  his 
countrymen. 

After  a  short  but  most 
useful  career,  beloved  and 
honored  by  all,  in  the  midst 
of  his  usefulness,  he  was 
suddenly  called  away  to  his 
home  above.  Devotedly 
attached  to  his  work,  wise 
in  winning  souls  to  Christ, 
he  died  lamented  alike  by 
Christian  and  heathen,  na- 
tive and  foreigner.  Never 
shall  we  forget  the  lamen- 
CETYWAYO  (in  English  dress)  tations  made  at  his  funeral. 

One  after  another,  as  they 

approached  the  house  after  his  death,  falling  to  the  earth  on  their  faces,  exclaimed, 
in  the  bitterest  tones  :  "  Ubaba  wami,  ubaba  wami,  u  file  !  "  (My  father,  my  father, 
is  dead). 

Upon  his  monument,  erected  by  the  united  gifts  of  loving  hearts,  are  inscribed 
these  words  of  the  wise  man:  "Ukukunjulwa  kolungileyo  ko  busiswa"  (The 
memory  of  the  just  is  blessed).  The  affection  of  many  a  Christian,  saved 
by  the  labors  of  James  Dub£,  will  not  suffer  his  memory  to  perish. 

Now  comes  the  report  that  the  second  of  these  men  is  dead,  not  having  died 
as  James  Dub6  did,  at  home,  surrounded  by  loving  friends,  but  an  exile,  driven 
from  his  kingdom,  with  none  to  care  for  him.  Cetywayo,  having  secured  his  title 
to  the  government  by  compassing  the  death  of  a  more  worthy  brother,  aspired, 
even  before  the  death  of  his  father,  to  the  exercise  of  supreme  power,  without 


Two  Noted  Zulus. 


57 


5  8  T%vo  Noted  Zulus 

a  single  effort  to  improve  his  own  condition,  or  the  condition  of  his  people ;  his 
greatest  ambition  apparently  having  been  to  imitate  and,  if  possible,  to  surpass, 
in  deeds  of  blood,  his  uncle  Chaka,  the  Nero  of  South  Africa.  Cetywayo  has 
ended  his  brief  reign  of  ten  years,  hated  by  his  own  people,  who  wished  to  free 
themselves  from  his  tryanny. 

What  a  contrast  his  life  and  death  afford  to  those  of  James  Dub£  !  Cetywayo, 
by  birth  as  well  as  by  position,  had  equal,  and  even  greater,  opportunities  than  the 
humble  pastor  had,  to  benefit  his  people  and  to  elevate  the  Zulus  over  whom 
he  was  king.  He  willingly  neglected  these  opportunities ;  missionaries  would 
gladly  have  made  known  to  him  the  news  of  salvation,  but  he  wilfully  refused 
to  hear  them.  Good  men,  like  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  and  Sir  Bartle  Frere, 
sent  him,  once  and  again,  messages  of  peace  and  goodwill,  advising  him  to  make 
his  reign  beneficial  to  his  people,  worthy  of  himself  and  of  the  age  in  which 
he  lived.  He  scorned  their  advice.  He  was  repeatedly  warned  that  the  course 
he  was  pursuing  would,  if  persisted  in,  bring  war,  and  result  in  ruin  to  himself 
and  to  his  people.  He  despised  these  warnings.  Defeated  in  battle  after  his 
warriors  had  given  fearful  evidence  of  their  valor,  and  carried  into  captivity,  it  was 
hoped,  he  would  learn  some  lessons  of  wisdom  by  adversity.  He  was  carried 
to  England  that  he  might  see  what  Christianity  has  done  to  make  a  nation  truly 
great,  and  learn  how  he  might  make  himself  a  blessing  to  his  people.  He  was 
sent  back,  and  reinstated  as  king  in  Zululand,  that  he  might  have  one  more 
opportunity  to  do  something  worthy  of  his  position.  So  far  as  is  now  known, 
he  has  only  used  this  opportunity  to  resume  his  former  career  of  tyranny  and 
oppression.  In  his  life  like  Nero,  his  death,  like  the  hated  old  Roman's,  will  not 
be  mourned.  One  report  says  that  he  died  of  a  broken  heart. 

While  the  memory  of  Pastor  Dub6  shall  be  blessed  and  his  name  had  in 
lasting  remembrance,  the  name  of  Cetywayo,  like  that  of  his  uncle  whom  he 
sought  to  imitate,  shall  be  accursed. 

The  only  opportunity  the  writer  ever  had  of  personally  visiting  this  remarkable 
man  was  in  1 88 1 ,  when  Cetywayo,  after  his  war  with  the  English,  was  held  as  a  captive 
at  Rondebosch.  This  place  is  near  Cape  Town,  the  port  near  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  at  which  all  the  vessels  carrying  our  missionaries  to  and  from  South  Africa 
always  trade,  and  of  which  a  picture  is  given  on  the  preceding  page.  Learning 
that  we  had  just  arrived  at  Cape  Town  from  Natal,  a  country  so  near  his  own  land, 
Cetywayo  was  delighted  to  hear  from  us  every  item  of  news  relating  to  the  Zulu 
people,  and  finding  that  we  could  communicate  with  him  in  his  own  language, 
without  an  interpreter,  he  was  quite  pleased  to  talk  with  us.  But  when  I 
remarked  that  I  hoped  he  was  quite  well  and  that  results  of  the  war  would 
ultimately  prove  beneficial  to  his  own  people,  by  introducing  to  them  the  arts 
of  civilization  and  the  blessings  of  Christianity,  he  sighed  and  said  :  "  A  ngazi 
lapa  ngi  nga  hlala  kahle  kanjani?  ngi  botyiwe  nje  "  (How  can  I  be  happy  while 
I  am  a  prisoner?  I  do  not  see  how  my  people  can  be  benefited  in  that  way). 
How  the  gospel  could  help  him  or  his  people  was  a  mystery  to  him.  It  would, 
as  he  thought,  make  brave  warriors  "abafazi  nje  "  (women  only). 

Shall  we  not  all  learn  from  his  sad  history  the  lesson  Gocl  is  often  teaching 
us,  that  greatness  of  birth  and  of  position  is  of  little  worth  unless  accompanied 
by  nobleness  of  character? 


DR.  ROBERT  MOFFAT,  OF  AFRICA. 


ROBERT  MOFFAT,  the  eminent  missionary  to  South  Africa,  the  father-in-law  of 
David  Livingstone,  the  African  explorer,  died  in  England,  in  1883,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-eight  years.  He  was  born  in  Scotland,  in  1795,  and  after  leaving 
school  was  apprenticed  as  a  "  Scotch  gardener." 

One  evening,  when  his  work  for  the  day  was  over,  he  was  slowly  walking  along 
the  street,  when  a  placard  announcing  a  missionary  meeting  caught  his  eye 


ROBERT  MOFFAT. 


Two  lines  especially  attracted  his  attention ;  they  were  these :  "  The  London 
Missionary  Society."  and  "  Rev.  William  Roby,  of  Manchester."  The  stories 
which  he  had  heard  in  boyhood,  from  his  mother's  lips,  of  the  adventures  and 


6o  Dr.  Robert  Moffat,  of  Africa. 

labors  of  the  early  Moravian  missionaries  came  back  to  him.  As  he  afterwards 
said,  the  sight  of  the  placard  "  had  made  him  another  man."  The  missionary 
spirit  was  aroused.  He  speedily  made  his  way  to  Manchester,  found  Mr.  Roby, 
and  told  his  story.  He  met  with  every  encouragement.  Though  but  little  over 
twenty  years  of  age,  he  was  accepted  by  the  Directors  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society  for  service  in  Africa.  Later  in  the  same  year,  1816,  he  sailed  for 
Cape  Colony. 

Unable  at  first  to  go  into  the  interior,  he  spent  his  time  in  learning  the  Dutch 
language,  in  order  that  he  might  preach  to  the  Boers  and  their  servants.  It  was 
in  this  way  he  preached  his  first  missionary  sermon,  after  he  was  at  last  permitted 
to  leave  the  Colony.  Stopping  over  night  with  a  somewhat  surly  Boer,  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  an  evening  service.  A  hundred  Hottentots  were  in  the 
Boer's  employ,  but  these  did  not  at  first  appear.  In  the  long  barn,  where  the 
service  was  to  be  held,  only  the  family  of  the  host  could  be  seen  —  some  seven 
persons  in  all.  "May  none  of  your  servants  come  in?"  said  the  missionary. 
"  What !"  snarled  the  man,  "Hottentots  !  are  you  come  to  preach  to  Hottentots? 
Go,  preach  to  baboons.  Or,  if  you  like,  I  '11  fetch  my  dogs,  and  you  may  preach 
to  them."  Moffat  had  intended  preaching  on  the  "  Neglect  of  so  great  salva- 
tion," but  the  reply  suggested  a  new  text,  which  he  immediately  read  :  "  Truth, 
Lord ;  yet  the  dogs  eat  of  the  crumbs  which  fall  from  their  master's  table." 
Again  and  again  the  truth  was  driven  home  to  the  man's  conscience,  until  at  last 
he  cried  out :  "  No  more  of  that !  Wait,  and  I  '11  bring  you  all  the  Hottentots 
in  the  place."  Soon  the  barn  was  crowded,  and  the  sermon  preached,  to  the 
evident  satisfaction  of  all. 

After  a  long  and  wearisome  journey  over  a  trackless  desert,  harassed  by  wild 
beasts,  parched  with  thirst,  and  overwhelmed  with  fatigue,  he  reached  his  desti- 
nation—  the  kraal  of  the  dreaded  Chief  Africaner.  Of  a  similar  journey 
Mofifat  himself  has  said  :  "  We  had  a  tolerable  supply  of  meat,  chiefly  the  flesh 
of  zebras  and  giraffes ;  the  latter,  when  fat,  was  preferred,  though  nothing  came 
amiss  to  hungry  travelers.  The  best  parts  were  always  eaten  first ;  and,  when 
pressed  with  hunger,  recourse  was  had  to  the  leaner  portions,  which  had  been 
stowed  away  in  the  wagon.  To  make  this  meat  palatable  (for  it  much  resembled 
sole  leather),  it  was  necessary  to  put  it  under  the  hot  ashes  and  then  beat  it 
between  two  stones  till  the  fibres  were  loosened ;  even  then  it  required  very  hard 
•chewing,  and  many  a  time  have  I  risen  from  a  meal  with  my  jawbone  so  sore, 
I  felt  no  inclination  to  speak." 

He  was  received  somewhat  coldly  by  Africaner,  but  after  a  short  interview  the 
women  were  ordered  to  build  him  a  house.  They  stuck  into  the  ground  a 
number  of  long,  slender  rods,  like  fishing-poles,  half  an  inch  apart ;  tied  the  tops 
together,  and  covered  the  whole  with  native  mats.  This  was  the  young  mission- 
ary's house  for  six  months.  He  says  of  it :  "  When  the  sun  shone,  it  was 
unbearably  hot ;  when  the  rain  fell,  I  came  in  for  a  share  of  it ;  when  the  wind 
blew,  I  had  frequently  to  decamp  to  escape  the  dust.  Any  hungry  cur  of  a  dog 
that  wished  a  night's  lodgings  could  force  itself  through  the  frail  wall  and 
deprive  me  of  my  meal  for  the  coming  day ;  and,  as  the  cattle  had  no  fold,  but 
strolled  about,  I  have  been  compelled  to  start  up  from  a  sound  sleep  to  defend 


Dr.  Robert  Moffat,  of  Aftica. 


61 


62  Dr.  Robert  Moffat,  of  Africa. 

myself  and  my  dwelling  from  being  crushed  to  pieces  by  the  rage  of  two  bulls, 
met  to  fight  a  nocturnal  duel." 

Africaner  had  been  the  terror  of  the  Colony  and  the  scourge  of  the  sur- 
rounding tribes.  On  the  way,  Moffat  was  repeatedly  warned  that  he  was  going 
to  his  destruction.  But  the  Word  of  the  Lord  touched  the  heart  of  this  African 
desperado.  He  learned  to  read,  and  might  be  seen  all  day  in  some  shady  nook 
eagerly  perusing  the  New  Testament.  Often  at  night  he  would  sit  down  with 
the  missionary,  at  the  door  of  his  house,  talking  till  the  dawn  of  the  things  of 
God.  The  new  view  taken^of  all  created  things  impressed  him  deeply.  Some- 
times after  these  long  conversations  he  would  say  :  "  I  have  heard  enough  ;  I 
feel  as  if  my  head  were  too  small  and  would  swell  with  these  great  subjects." 
His  character  was  completely  changed,  and  his  piety  became  as  notable  as  had 
been  his  career  of  outlawry. 

Moffat  was  now  appointed  to  take  charge  of  another  mission,  that  among  the 
Bechuanas,  leaving  Africaner  and  his  brothers  to  carry  on  the  work  in  Namaqua- 
land.  The  Bechuanas  were  savage,  warlike,  treacherous,  and  indifferent  to 
instruction.  The  missionaries  were  subjected  to  mortification  and  insult.  But  in 
time  the  sharing  of  mutual  danger  made  the  people  less  distrustful,  and  after  the 
removal  of  the  station  to  Kuruman,  prospects  became  much  brighter.  Here 
Moffat  remained  in  charge  until  1870,  with  the  exception  of  a  visit  to  England 
in  1840.  From  Kuruman  he  made  numerous  journeys  to  various  heathen  chief- 
tains, by  whom  he  was  kindly  received,  with  many  of  whom  he  came  to  be  on 
intimate  terms. 

One  of  these  chiefs,  Mosheu,  hearing  of  Moffat,  came  to  visit  him,  and 
after  staying  two  days  left,  but  soon  returned  with  a  large  retinue  and  cattle 
enough  to  support  him.  On  leaving  again,  Moffat  promised  to  visit  him  at  his 
village.  This  the  missionary  soon  did,  reaching  the  village  after  a  tiresome 
journey.  But  there  was  no  rest  for  him.  As  soon  as  he  appeared,  young  and 
old  came  flocking  forth  to  welcome  him.  It  was  twelve  o'clock  that  night  before 
the  people  were  satisfied.  At  early  dawn  more  than  five  hundred  people  were 
clamoring  for  him  to  preach  to  them.  Without  waiting  for  breakfast,  he  did  so. 
At  the  close  of  service  he  went  to  a  neighboring  pool  to  wash  himself,  and  on 
returning  for  breakfast,  found  the  people  assembled  again  for  another  sermon. 
Pleading  hunger,  one  of  the  women  hastened  to  her  hut  and  brought  to  him  a 
wooden  bowl  of  sour  milk,  saying  :  "  There,  drink  much,  and  you  will  be  able  to 
speak  long."  Hastily  swallowing  this  draught,  a  new  sermon  was  preached.  In 
the  evening  these  scenes  were  repeated.  One  incident  shows  how  the  seed 
thus  planted  brought  forth  fruit. 

It  happened  that,  one  Sabbath  morning,  the  people  were  assembled  at  their 
early  prayer-meeting,  when  a  band  of  cattle-robbers  appeared,  saying  :  "  Your 
cattle!  resist  at  your  peril."  "There  are  my  cattle,"  said  Mosheu.  Then  a 
hymn  was  sung,  and  all  the  people  knelt  in  prayer  to  God,  who  alone  could 
save.  The  ruffians,  awed  by  the  sight,  withdrew  without  touching  anything. 

Fifteen  years  ago,  after  a  life  spent  in  such  successful  missionary  labor,  Moffat 
returned  to  England,  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  long  life.  Honored 
and  loved  of  all,  from  peasant  to  Queen,  he  has  gone  to  his  heavenly  reward, 
dying  on  the  loth  of  August,  1883. 


AN  AFRICAN  SLAVE  BOY. 


MOST  of  our  readers  have  heard  of  the  English  Church  missionaries  who 
have  been  laboring  for  several  years  in  Central  Africa,  at  Uganda,  whose  king, 
Mtesa,  lived  on  the  shore  of  the  great  inland  lake  Victoria  Nyanza.  Two  of  these 
missionaries,  Messrs.  Wilson  and  Felkin,  have  written  a  book  called  Uganda 
and  the  Egyptian  Soudan,  which  de^-''v^c  ^-*  ™nntrv  in  which  they  lived, 
and  the  region  they  passed 
through  in  reaching  it.  They 
brought  home  to  England  on 
their  return  a  boy  who  was 
once  a  slave,  but  who  now  is 
in  a  Christian  home  in  Eng- 
land, where  he  is  making 
many  friends  for  himself.  He 
is  said  to  be  quick  and  teach- 
able, a  great  lover  of  music 
and  flowers,  graceful  and 
kind  in  all  his  actions.  From 
what  he  was  when  a  slave- 
boy,  we  may  learn  what  thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  Af- 
rican boys  are  to-day.  The 
story  of  Capsune,  as  told  by 
the  missionaries  in  this  vol- 
ume on  Uganda,  is  so  inter- 
esting that  we  make  room  for 
it  here. 

"  When  at  Dara  we  were  very 
short  of  servants,  and  Slatin 
Bey  offered  me  one  of  his  lib- 
erated slave  boys,  named  Cap- 
sune. He  was  a  nice,  bright 
little  fellow,  so  I  accepted  him,  A  WATUSI  SALUTATION. 

and  found  that,  although  very  young,  —  being  only  six  years  old,  —  he  had  gone 
through  some  strange  adventures.  A  sketch  of  his  life  before  he  became  my  servant, 
taken  from  his  own  lips,  may  be  of  interest.  The  first  years  of  his  life  were  spent 
happily  and  peacefully,  his  home  being  far  away,  many  days'  journey  from  Dara,  in  a 
land  of  running  waters  and  trees  and  flowers.  He  remembers  his  father  and  mother 
and  three  grown-up  brothers  with  great  affection,  and  tears  often  come  into  his  eyes 


64  An  African  Slave  Boy.  [August, 

as  he  talks  of  them  and  his  old  home.  His  father  possessed  cows  and  sheep,  and  cul- 
tivated the  ground  ;  and,  besides  the  necessary  food,  he  grew  cotton,  which  he  spun 
and  wove  for  the  clothing  of  the  family.  The  men  of  the  village  were  armed  with 
lances  and  knives,  but  appear  to  have  been  of  a  peaceful  disposition  until  molested  by 
the  Arabs. 

"  Capsune's  chief  playmate  was  a  little  white  goat,  a  present  from  his  father ;  he 
helped  to  take  care  of  the  cattle,  and  made  snares  for  birds,  and  tamed  them,  and  had 
no  heavier  sorrow  than  the  loss  of  his  favorite  goat.  More  serious  troubles  were  in 
store  for  him,  for  the  dongolowees  came  to  the  neighborhood,  and  he,  among  others. 
was  captured.  At  night  he  was  confined  in  a  hut,  and  made  to  lie  down  between 
another  boy  and  one  of  the  Arabs.  He  was  not  chained,  and  when  his  captors  were 
fast  asleep,  he  stealthily  glided  out  of  the  hut.  Just  as  he  got  outside  a  dog  began  to 
bark,  and  awakened  the  Arab,  who,  perceiving  his  absence,  started  in  pursuit.  The 
man  was  gaining  on  him,  when  he  turned  aside  and  hid  in  the  tall  grass,  so  that  his 
enemy  passed  without  observing  him.  On  and  on  he  ran,  until,  frightened  at  the  roar- 
ing of  the  lions,  he  climbed  a  tree,  and  rested  for  a  little  time.  He  then  continued  his 
flight,  but  in  the  darkness  lost  his  way,  and  at  last,  completely  worn  out,  took  refuge 
again  in  a  tree,  and  slept  until  morning.  Then,  with  the  help  of  daylight,  he  found  the 
right  path,  and  reached  his  home,  to  the  great  joy  of  his  parents. 

"  Their  happiness  was  not  long  unbroken.  Another  party  of  dongolowees  appeared, 
and  Capsune  was  again  taken  prisoner,  and  this  time  his  father  and  many  of  the  men 
of  the  village  were  killed  while  endeavoring  to  protect  their  wives. and  children.  The 
following  day  Capsune  was  rescued  by  his  brother,  but  he  was  recaptured.  The  don- 
golowees were  about  to  secure  him,  like  all  the  other  captives,  by  a  rope  round  his 
neck,  when  one  of  the  men  said,  '  He  is  such  a  little  fellow  ;  he  will  never  run  away,' 
so  he  was  left  at  liberty,  and  at  night  made  one  more  attempt  for  freedom,  but  in  vain. 
He  was  taken  from  one  place  to  another,  and  passed  from  one  master  to  another,  and, 
young  as  he  was,  learnt  the  meaning  of  the  kurbatch. 

"  On  one  occasion  he  had  been  ordered  to  gather  bundles  of  grass,  and  to  put  them 
in  a  certain  place.  After  fulfilling  his  task  he  went  away,  and  whilst  he  was  absent  the 
grass  was  removed  ;  his  master  came  and  asked  why  he  had  not  obeyed  his  order,  and, 
taking  no  notice  of  his  assurance  that  the  work  had  been  done,  ordered  the  child  to  be 
whipped.  His  own  words  are,  '  He  not  let  me  lie  down,  but  man  hold  my  hands,  and 
whip  go  all  round  me,  very  bad,  —  oh,  very  bad  ! '  He  was  so  angry  and  indignant  at 
this  treatment  that  he  tried  once  more  to  get  free,  and  succeeded  in  making  good  his 
escape,  only  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  another  slave-dealer. 

"After  some  time  spent  in  Dara,  he  was  taken  to  Tuaisha,  and  there  sold  to  an  Arab, 
who,  with  other  dongolowees  and  a  caravan  of  slaves,  started  for  Omchanga.  On  the 
march,  the  slaves  had  only  a  very  small  quantity  of  dhurra  and  water  allowed  them, 
and  were  frequently  so  parched  with  thirst,  that  when  they  came  on  any  moist  patches 
of  ground  they  sank  down  and  tried  to  suck  a  little  moisture  out  of  the  mud.  The 
water  supplied  was  at  last  completely  exhausted,  and  the  slaves  were  placed  in  grass 
huts,  a  short  distance  from  the  main  road,  while  some  of  the  dongolowees  went  in 
search  of  water.  When  they  returned  successful,  a  little  water  was  given  to  each  of 
the  slaves  ;  and  afterwards,  their  chains  having  been  removed,  some  tried  to  forget 
their  misery  in  sleep.  They  were  presently  aroused  by  hearing  that  Kuruck  (Gordon 
Pasha)  was  coming,  and  all  was  in  confusion.  The  dongolowees  were  in  a  state  of 
abject  fear  ;  those  who  could  escaped,  while  others  tried  to  hide,  but  the  soldiers 
searched  all  the  huts  ai:d  thickets,  and  several  were  discovered.  The  slaves  were 
taken  under  the  shade  of  a  large  tree,  food  and  water,  by  Kuruck's  orders,  being  given 
to  them  —  '  Children  so  thirsty  ;  children  very  glad.'  The  captured  dongolowees 
meanwhile  had  their  hands  tied  behind  them,  their  clothes  taken  away,  and  after 
receiving  a  whipping,  were  allowed  to  depart,  and  ran  away  'quickly,  oh,  so  quickly  ; 


An  African  Slav*  J*oy. 


stop  for  nothing,  but  shut  eyes  and  run.'  Kuruck  then  came  from  under  the  tree 
where  he  had  been  sitting,  and  inspected  the  slaves,  and  Capsune  gazed  with  astonish- 
ment at  the  first  European  he  had  ever  seen. 

"  The  '  white  man's  eyes '  made  the  greatest  impression  on  him,  and  be  says,  '  I 


shake  very  much  when  I  see  eyes  :  eyes  very  blue,  very  bright ;  I  think  eyes  can  see 
through  me :  and  when  I  see  eyes,  1  frightened,  and  think  I  finished  to-day.'  How- 
ever, he  was  not  finished,  for,  after  giving  orders  about  the  slaves,  Kuruck  called  for 
his  camel  and  rode  on  to  Tuaisha.  The  slaves  were  sent  to  Omchanga,  where  they 
were  detained  for  some  time,  and  then  were  taken  to  Fascher.  There  they  were  dis- 


66  An  African  Slave  Boy. 

posed  of,  but  not  against  their  will  ;  for  Capsune  says,  'two  men  asked  me,  "  Will  you 
go  with  me,"  and  I  say,  "  I  not  like  ;  "  then  another  man  come,  and  I  like,  so  I  go  with 
him.'  His  master  was  very  good  to  him,  and  bought  him  clothes,  slippers,  and  tar- 
boosh. He  was  given  or  sold  to  another  Arab,  who  took  him  to  Dara,  and  died  there, 
and  after  his  death  Capsune  came  into  Slatin  Bey's  possession.  He  told  me  after- 
wards that  when  his  companions  in  Dara  knew  that  he  was  going  with  a  white  man, 
they  frightened  him  by  saying  he  would  be  eaten,  and  the  same  thing  was  told  him  in 


AN   AFRICAN   PROSTRATING    HIMSr(_F  B^FO^E   HIS  PRINCE. 

Khartoum.  But  my  other  servant  boy,  who  had  been  with  me  longer,  reassured  him, 
and  he  soon  found  that  I  had  no  fancy  for  roasted  negro.  I  brought  him  with  me  to 
England,  and  he  is  such  a  faithful  servant  that  I  have  always  had  reason  to  thank 
Slatin  Bey  for  his  gift. 

"  He  very  speedily  attached  himself  to  my  family,  and  is  now  my  sister's  devoted 
attendant.  He  is  a  great  chatterbox,  and  the  remarks  he  makes  on  the  novel  sights  he 
sees  are  most  instructive  as  well  as  entertaining,  for  from  them  one  can  realize  the 
effect  our  civilization  produces  on  the  mind  of  an  unsophisticated  observer." 


SAMUEL  CROWTHER.    SLAVE-BOY  AND  BISHOP. 


MANY  books  have  been  written  showing  how  from  lowly  circumstances  men 
have  risen  to  positions  of  great  honor  and  usefulness.  Perhaps  you  have  read 
"  From  Poorhouse  to  Pulpit,"  or  "  From  Cabin  to  White  House."  The  story 
we  are  about  to  tell  might  be  called  "  From  Slave-pen  to  Bishopric."  It  is  a 
wonderful  story  of  high  attainments  by  one  of  humblest  birth. 

Some  seventy-five  years  ago,  the  great  supply  of  slaves  for  the  markets  of  the 
world  came  from  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  and  especially  from  the  kingdoms 


AN   AFRICAN    FAMILY. 

bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Guinea.  One  of  these  kingdoms  is  Yoruba,  and  about 
a  hundred  miles  inland  from  what  is  now  the  port  of  Lagos,  there  lived,  in  1821, 
a  family  consisting  of  father  and  mother  and  three  children,  one  of  them  a  boy 
of  eleven  years,  named  Adjai.  One  morning  a  cry  was  heard  in  this  rude  African 
village  :  "  The  men-stealers  are  coming  ! "  In  the  fight  which  followed,  the 
father  fell  in  defence  of  his  home,  and  the  children  and  mother  were  bound 
together  with  cords  about  their  necks,  and  were  driven  away  from  their  home, 
which  was  left  a  smoking  ruin.  The  mother  and  baby  were  allotted  to  one  of 
the  warriors.  Adjai  and  his  sister  were  assigned  to  a  principal  chief,  but  were 


68 


Samuel  CrowtJier.     Slave-boy  and  BisJiop. 


soon  bartered  away  for  a  horse.  Inasmuch  as  the  horse  did  not  suit  the  chief, 
Adjai  was  taken  back,  but  was  subsequently  sent  in  chains  to  the  slave  market  at 
Ijaye  to  be  sold.  Within  a  few  months  he  was  sold  four  times,  generally  being 
bartered  for  rum  and  tobacco.  All  this  time  he  was  in  terrible  anxiety  lest  he 
should  be  sold  to  white  men  and  carried  off,  as  so  many  of  the  slaves  were,  to  a 
foreign  land.  He  often  purposed  to  strangle  himself,  and  once  actually 
attempted  to  throw  himself  into  the  river.  But  God  kept  him  in  life,  for  he  had 
a  great  use  to  make  of  him. 


BISHOP  SAMUEL   CRDWTHER 

The  fourth  master  of  Adjai  did  sell  him  to  the  white  men,  who  put  him  with 
the  others  into  the  slave  barracoons,  or  sheds,  where  he  lay  stifling  for  four  weary 
months.  This  was  at  what  is  now  the  flourishing  town  of  Lagos.  But  one  night 
Adjai  and  his  companions,  to  the  number  of  187,  were  carried  on  board  a  slave- 
ship,  and  stowed  away  in  the  hold  for  the  purpose  of  transportation  to  Cuba  or 
Brazil.  Shortly  after  the  slaveship  went  to  sea  she  was  captured  by  a  British 
man-of-war  which  was  seeking  to  suppress  the  slave  trade,  and  the  slaves  were 
taken  on  board  to  be  carried  to  Sierra  Leone.  But  of  course  these  poor 
creatures  did  not  understand  the  merciful  purpose  of  their  deliverers,  and  when 
on  board  the  rescuing  ship  they  were  filled  with  horror  at  seeing  joints  of  pork 


Samuel  Crovuther.     Slave-boy  and  Bishop.  69 

and  cannon-balls  about  the  deck,  for  they  had  no  other  thought  than  that  these 
were  the  heads  and  flesh  of  murdered  negroes,  and  that  it  would  soon  be  their 
turn  to  be  thus  cut  up. 

These  freed  children  were  placed  at  Sierra  Leone,  in  a  school  under  the  care 
of  young  men,  and  Adjai  was  so  eager  to  learn  that  when  the  first  day's  school 
was  over  he  begged  a  hay-penny,  and  bought  an  alphabet  card  for  himself.  In 
six  months  he  could  read  the  New  Testament  well  A  little  girl  with  whom  he 
was  associated  in  this  school,  named  Asano,  afterward  became  his  wife. 

After  exhibiting  marked  intelligence  and  showing  evidence  of  Christian  char- 
acter, Adjai  was  baptized,  in  1825,  by  the  name  of  Samuel  Crowther.  He  was 
then  taken  to  England  by  one  of  the  missionaries,  but  returned  shortly  after  to 
Sierra  Leone,  and  became  a  student,  and  soon  an  assistant  teacher,  in  what  was 
called  the  Fourah  Bay  College  of  the  English  Church  Missionary  Society.  He 
was  invited  to  accompany  the  celebrated  Niger  expedition,  undertaken  by  the 
English  government  in  1841,  the  object  of  which  was  to  explore  that  important 
but  then  unknown  river  of  Africa.  The  expedition,  though  it  made  valuable 
discoveries,  was  disastrous  in  its  results,  for  nearly  one  third  of  the  hundred  and 
fifty  persons  connected  with  it  died  within  two  months.  Mr.  Crowther,  however, 
escaped,  and  in  1843,  just  twenty-one  years  after  he  was  put  on  board  the  slave- 
ship,  he  was  ordained  clergyman  in  connection  with  the  mission  of  the  Church 
of  England.  His  countrymen  marveled  as  they  heard  one  of  their  own  race 
preaching  in  his  native  Yoruba,  and  the  whole  church  rang  with  the  cry  of  "  Ke 
oh  sheh  !  "  —  "So  let  it  be." 

At  this  time  many  of  the  Yoruba-speaking  tribes,  after  suffering  greatly  from 
men-stea1;ng  wars,  had  built  a  city  about  a  hundred  miles  from  Lagos,  calling  it 
Abeokuta,  and  many  of  the  slaves  who  had  obtained  their  liberty  in  various  parts 
of  Africa  made  their  way  back  to  this  their  native  land.  Mr.  Crowther  was 
appointed  to  labor  at  this  city,  and  went  thither  with  four  other  Christian 
Yorubas.  In  1846,  three  weeks  after  he  had  reached  the  city,  he  met  his 
mother,  after  a  separation  of  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In  his  own  journal  he 
makes  the  following  record  for  August  21,  on  which  day  he  met  her :  — 

"  Thou  art  the  Helper  of  the  fatherless.  I  have  never  felt  the  force  of  this 
text  more  than  I  did  this  day,  as  I  have  to  relate  that  my  mother,  from  whom 
I  was  torn  away  about  five  and  twenty  years  ago,  came  with  my  brother  in  quest 
of  me.  When  she  saw  me  she  trembled.  She  could  not  believe  her  own  eyes. 
We  grasped  one  another,  looking  at  each  other  with  silence  and  great  astonish- 
ment ;  big  tears  rolled  down  her  emaciated  cheeks.  A  great  number  of  people 
soon  came  together.  She  trembled  as  she  held  me  by  the  hand,  and  called  me 
by  the  familiar  names  by  which  I  well  remembered  I  used  to  be  called  by  my 
grandmother,  who  has  since  died  in  slavery.  We  could  not  say  much,  but  sat 
stifl,  and  cast  now  and  then  an  affectionate  look  at  one  another  —  a  look  which 
violence  and  oppression  have  long  checked  —  an  affection  which  had  nearly 
been  extinguished  by  the  long  space  of  twenty-five  years.  My  two  sisters,  who 
were  captured  with  us,  are  both  with  my  mother,  who  takes  care  of  them  and 
her  grandchildren,  in  a  small  town  not  far  from  hence,  called  Abaka.  Thus 
unsought  for,  after  all  search  for  me  had  failed,  God  has  brought  us  together 
again,  and  turned  our  sorrow  into  joy." 


JQ  Samuel  CrowtJicr.     Slave-boy  and  Bishop. 

It  seems  that  his  mother  had  long  given  up  all  hope  of  seeing  her  son,  having 
been  in  slavery  herself  more  than  once,  though  not  taken  from  Africa.  She 
afterward  became  one  of  the  first  fruits  of  the  mission,  and  was  baptized  by  the 
name  of  Hannah,  the  mother  of  Samuel. 

In  Mr.  Crowther's  journal  of  August  3,  1849,  is  this  record  :  — • 

"  This  mission  is  to-day  three  years  old.  What  has  God  wrought  during  this 
short  interval  of  conflict  between  light  and  darkness  !  We  have  five  hundred 
constant  attendants  on  the  means  of  grace,  about  eighty  communicants,  and 
nearly  two  hundred  candidates  for  baptism,  A  great  number  of  heathen  have 
ceased  worshiping  their  country  gods;  others  have  cast  theirs  away  altogther 
and  are  not  far  from  enlisting  under  the  banner  of  Christ." 

We  have  not  room  to  follow  the  subsequent  life  of  Mr.  Crowther  in  detail. 
He  prepared  a  grammar  and  dictionary  of  the  Yoruba  language,  and  was  known 


BUILDING   A    HOUSE    IN    AFRICA. 

as  a  diligent  and  thorough  scholar.  He  translated  the  Bible  and  school-books 
into  his  native  tongue,  and  gave  himself  unweariedly  to  efforts  to  elevate  his 
people.  He  led  a  second  expedition  up  the  Niger,  which  was  a  signal  success, 
making  important  additions  to  the  geographical  knowledge  of  the  world.  But 
he  was  engaged  chiefly  in  the  missionary  work,  and  in  1857  the  Niger  Mission 
of  the  English  Church  Missionary  Society  was  established.  When  the  English 
bishop  died,  no  one  could  be  found  so  fitted  for  the  position  as  Mr.  Crowther, 
and  he  was  consecrated  bishop  in  1864.  The  last  report  of  this  mission  says 
that  "  no  other  mission  started  so  recently  as  1857  can  show  equal  visible  results 
in  large  congregations  of  professed  Christian  worshipers. "  There  are  nearly  four 
thousand  Christian  adherents  under  the  care  of  this  bishop,  and  though  the 
people  have  suffered  much  from  the  heathenish  superstitions  of  their  neighbors, 
they  have  stood  steadfast  for  the  faith.  The  wife  of  Bishop  Crowther  died  only 
four  years  ago,  more  than  fifty  years  after  their  marriage,  and  the  good  bishop 
himself  is  still  laboring,  an  honored  and  useful  man,  in  his  missionary  field  on 
the  banks  of  the  Niger. 


THE  BLIND  ZULU  BOYS  STORY. 


missionary  lady  at  Umvori,  Natal,  South  Africa, 
recently  issued  by  A.  D.  F.  Randolph  &  Co.,  New 


[Condensed,  by  permission,  from  a  story  written  out  by 
and  printed  in  a  new  edition  of  "  The  Seed  and  the  Sheaves,' 
York.] 

Mv  name  is  Tungwana.  I  was  born  in  Natal,  South  Africa,  and  my  home  is 
twenty  miles  from  the  great  Tugela  River.  My  father  was  chief  of  a  tribe. 
When  I  was  a  baby  I  lost  the  sight  of  one  of  my  eyes.  When  I  was  about  ten 
years  old  I  saw  one  day  at  the  English  government  station  a  man  working 
in  iron,  and  I  went  near  to  see  how  it  was  done.  The  sparks  were  flying  and 
that  was  the  last  thing  I  ever  saw,  the  last  ray  of  light.  One  of  the  sparks  flew 
into  my  eye,-  and  I  became  totally  blind.  It  was  like  death  ;  often  I  cried  with 
the  pain  in  my  heart, 
which  was  sometimes 
harder  to  bear  than 
the  dreadful  pain  in 
my  eyes. 

At  times,  like  wed- 
dings and  feasts, 
when  the  people 
would  all  go  and  I 
could  not,  I  felt  as 
if  my  heart  would 
break.  My  mother 
would  never  go  and 
leave  me,  and  many 
bitter  tears  we  shed 
when  alone  together.  I  longed  to  die,  and  often  felt  as  if  I  could  kill  myself. 
Then  I  thought  all  would  end ;  I  would  just  die  as  the  beast  dies.  Sometimes 
I  ran  hard,  saying  I  did  not  care  where  I  went  or  how  I  fell  and  hurt  myself. 
I  would  fall  in  the  tall  grass  many  a  time,  and  lie  there  hoping  I  might  never 
get  up  again.  But  my  mother  would  be  sure  to  find  me.  I  knew  nothing  of 
God ;  all  was  dark,  dark  to  body  and  soul.  I  knew  not  that  I  had  a  soul. 

I  always  liked  to  take  a  bath  in  the  river  every  day,  but  I  had  never  gone 
alone.  One  morning  I  waked  when  the  cocks  began  to  crow,  and  thought  I 
should  like  to  try  if  I  could  go  alone  and  take  my  bath.  The  river  was  about 
half  a  mile  away.  I  got  up  and  set  out.  The  air  was  fresh  and  pure,  and  the 
birds  were  waking  up  to  sing  their  morning  song.  I  did  not  know  if  it  was  yet 
light ;  it  was  all  the  same  to  me,  night  or  day ;  I  could  never  see  again.  I  went 
safely  to  the  river  and  had  a  nice  bath.  I  came  out  and  was  able  to  find  every- 
thing just  as  I  had  left  it ;  my  native  dress  on  one  side  of  the  path  and  my  sticks 


McMORUL   CHURCH    AT   UMVOTI,    NATAL. 


72  The  Blind  Zulu  Boy  s  Story. 

on  the  other  (a  Zulu  will  never  go  away  from  home  without  sticks  ;  every  little 
boy  carries  at  least  one  or  two). 

I  do  not  know  when  I  had  been  so  happy  as  that  morning ;  I  was  pleased 
to  have  got  on  so  nicely  alone  ;  I  wondered  how  it  was  that  I  had  such  nice 
thoughts  ;  where  they  came  from  ;  where  everything  came  from  !  As  I  quietly 
walked  home  thinking  on  these  things,  it  seemed  as  if  I  were  not  alone,  that 
some  one  was  with  me,  was  helping  me,  and  that  was  the  reason  I  had  gone  on 
so  well  this  morning.  Yet  I  could  hear  no  sound  that  told  me  any  one  was  near. 

I  now  believe  these  were  my  first  thoughts  of  God.  It  was  like  a  little  trust. 
I  hardly  know  what  it  was  like.  From  the  children  in  the  school  I  had  h-ard 
that  there  was  a  God.  But  the  thought  was  very  vague,  and  had  taken  no  real 
form  in  my  mind. 

About  this  time  "Inkosaznna"  (Miss  H.)  and  Titise,  a  native  woman,  began 
to  have  meetings  at  our  kraal  for  the  women.  They  were  sometimes  in  my 
mother's  house.  One  day  I  was  there  at  the  meeting ;  they  spoke  to  me,  but 
I  would  not  say  much.  I  just  sat,  as  I  often  did,  with  my  blanket  on  my  bowed 
head.  They  have  since  told  me  that  they  then  thought  I  was  very  stupid  as  well 
as  blind.  They  had  no  idea  that  I  had  listened  to  every  word  they  had  spoken 
at  the  meeting,  or  that  I  had  listened  at  all. 

When  Panda  died  in  Zululand,  and  his  son  Cetewayo  was  made  king,  in  that 
year  I  began  to  understand  truly  that  the  Son  of  God  had  come  into  the  world. 
I  had  heard  the  name  of  Jesus,  but  I  did  not  seem  really  to  know  who  he  was, 
or  why  he  came.  One  day  "  Inkosazana  "  came  to  the  meeting,  and  she  told 
us  about  Jesus  walking  on  the  water  ;  how  kindly  he  helped  Peter  when  he  was 
sinking  and  unable  to  help  himself;  how  he  put  him  in  the  boat  where  he  was 
safe  from  harm.  Then  she  said:  "  That  is  the  same  Jesus  who  loves  us,  who 
is  our  friend.  He  took  Peter  out  of  his  trouble,  and  put  him  in  a  safe  place. 
So  he  can  take  us  out  of  our  sins,  can  help  us,  can  keep  us  safely,  and  at  last  take 
us  to  his  own  beautiful  home."  Those  words  did  not  go  out  of  my  mind  ;  I 
thought  of  them  continually. 

I  could  not  get  away  from  the  thought  that  this  same  being,  Jesus,  was  near 
me,  was  my  friend,  and  I  longed  to  know  more  about  him.  I  could  scarcely 
wait  for  the  next  meeting,  and  then  only  Titise  came.  I  asked  her  to  tell  me 
more  about  Jesus.  She  told  me  something  that  he  did,  but  I  longed  to  see 
"Inkosazana,"  that  she  might  tell  me  just  as  she  had  done  before. 

The  next  week  she  came.  When  I  heard  her  step  my  heart  bounded  with 
gladness.  I  then  did  not  wish  to  keep  my  head  in  my  blanket !  I  told  her  how 
very  glad  I  was  that  she  had  come.  She  sat  near  me,  and  I  asked  her  all  I  liked. 
We  talked  much  about  the  Son  of  God,  and  what  he  had  suffered  and  done  for 
us.  As  I  heard  more  and  more  of  his  love,  a  stillness  came  into  my  soul  when 
I  thought  of  his  being  my  friend.  She  told  me  of  his  opening  the  eyes  of  the 
blind,  and  then  she  said  :  "  It  may  not  be  in  this  world,  but  some  day  you  will 
again  see.  Jesus  can  make  you  see  ;  it  will  not  be  a  dream  !  In  another  world 
much  better  than  this,  there  will  be  his  home,  the  home  of  God  and  the  redeemed. 
He  loves  you,  is  truly  your  friend.  When  it  is  best  for  you  to  go,  if  you  will 
trust  in  him  and  obey  him,  he  will  bring  you  safely  there.  Then  you  will  no 
longer  be  blind." 


TJie  Blind  Zulu  Boys  Story.  75 

Oh,  I  cannot  tell  you  how  sweet  it  was  to  me  to  hear  all  these  glad  tidings  ! 
They  were  continually  in  my  thoughts,  and  were  to  my  heart  like  rain  in  a  dry 


and  barren  land.    Yet  I  felt  that  I  did  not  know  how  to  speak  to  him,  who  was 
so  great,  so  pure,  so  holy ;  yet  I  hoped  that  he  would  understand  me.    So  that 


74 


The  Blind  Zulu  Boys  Story. 


night,  and  when  alone,  I  often  put  my  head  in  my  blanket,  and  whispered  a  few 
words  to  him. 

"  Inkosazana  "  said  that  I  could  go  to  school,  and  the  teacher  would  teach  me 
verses  from  the  Bible.  He  wished  me  to  learn  the  third  chapter  of  John.  So 
I  went  to  school,  and  while  learning  that  chapter  I  saw  very  plainly  that  Jesus 
Christ  the  Son  of  God  was  my  Saviour.  I  asked  him  with  all  my  heart  to  take 
my  sins  away,  to  take  me  and  keep  me.  I  trust  that  I  was  then  truly  born  again. 

Since  that  day  I  have  never  known  a  time  when  I  did  not  feel  that  God  was 
with  me  and  heard  my  prayers.  It  is  not  difficult  for  me  to  remember  chapters 
and  verses  from  the  Bible,  or  Where  they  are  written.  I  have  learned  a  great 
many,  so  that  now  when  I  preach  I  can  get  on  without  any  one  helping  me  by  read- 
ing the  Testament  or  hymns.  I  sometimes  think  that  it  is  better  for  me  to  know 
the  Testament  and  parts  of  the  Bible  in  this  way  than  to  be  able  to  read  it.  I 
am  glad  when  I 
speak  to  others 
of  Jesus  that  I 
can  remember 
his  words  to  tell 
them.  I  never 
now  feel  lonely 
and  sad,  as  I 
used  to  do ;  I 
have  continual- 
ly so  much  to 
think  of  that 
is  pleasant.  I 
have  even 
grown  happy 
in  the  thought 
of  being  blind. 
If  I  had  not 

been  blind,  I  might  never  have  sought  and  found  Jesus  Christ.     To  have  found 
him  is  more  to  me  than  eyes  or  any  earthly  thing. 

My  one  great  desire  and  joy  is  to  tell  others  of  Jesus,  and  how  they  may  find 
and  follow  him.  I  have  been  in  the  Theological  School  at  Adams  for  over  two 
years.  I  learn  by  listening,  and  hope  in  that  way  to  be  better  fitted  for  the 
Master's  use. 

I  am  twenty-nine  years  old.  I  have  a  wife  and  a  little  daughter.  My  wife 
is  being  taught  by  one  of  the  ladies  at  Adams.  When  we  have  finished  here  we 
shall  hope  to  return  to  Umvoti,  and  live  near  our  old  home,  where  I  trust  that 
God  will  help  me  to  be  pastor  over  the  people  of  my  father's  tribe,  and  to  lead 
many  of  them  to  love  and  follow  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

I  want  to  thank  you,  more  than  words  can  express,  for  sending  missionaries 
to  us.  I  love  to  pray  for  them  and  for  you  who  send  them.  Will  you  not  pray 
much  for  the  native  pastors,  that  God  will  raise  up  many  more  to  work  for  him, 
and  give  us  much  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ?  For  the  darkness  here  is  great  —  very, 
very  great ! 


AN    AFRICAN    BAOBAB   TREE. 


RKEY. 


THE  EMPIRE  OF  THE  SULTAN. 


THE  Turkish  Empire  has  for  several  years  past  attracted  a  large  share  of 
attention  from  the  rulers  of  Europe  and  from  the  Christians  of  America. 
These  European  rulers  have  been  specially  interested  in  Turkey,  because  it 
has  seemed  probable  that  the  government  of  the  Sultan  could  not  long  con- 
tinue, and  if  he  should  be  overthrown,  it  was  a  very  important  matter  who  was 
to  rule  at  Constantinople.  If  England  and  France  and  Germany  did  not  want 
the  rich  territory  of  Turkey  for  themselves,  they  were  anxious  that  no  other 
Great  Power  of  Europe  should  gain  it.  And  so  these  nations,  with  Russia  and 
Austria,  are  watching  each  other,  and  their  diplomatists  are  discussing  what  is 
called  "  The  Eastern  Question."  That  question  is  :  What  shall  become  of 


MOSQUE   OF   ST.    SOPHIA,  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

Turkey  ?  But  it  is  as  a  missionary  field  that  Christians  in  America  have  had 
their  eyes  specially  turned  towards  the  East.  Whoever  may  rule  in  place  of 
the  Sultan,  Christ  ought  to  rule  in  the  hearts  of  all  the  people.  This  whole 
region  was  once  Christian  ground.  The  grand  mosque  of  St.  Sophia  repre- 
sented above,  was  once  a  Christian  church.  When  the  Mohammedans  con- 


^g  The  Empire  of  the  Sultan. 

quered  Constantinople  in  1453,  A.  D.,  they  transformed  this  beautiful  temple 
into  a  mosque  ;  they  sought  to  cut  out  of  the  stones  every  Christian  symbol, 
like  the  cross,  and  they  added  minarets,  after  their  own  style  of  architecture. 
It  is  said  that  they  only  partially  succeeded  in  destroying  the  Christian  sym- 
bols, for  a  few  still  remain  to  bear  witness  to  the  origin  of  the  building.  What 
we  are  endeavoring  to  do  is  to  regain  such  temples  as  this,  not  by  any  means  by 
the  sword,  as  the  Turks  took  it  from  the  Christians,  but  by  giving  them  a  bet- 
ter faith  so  that  they  shall  renounce  their  false  prophet  and  follow  only  Christ. 
More  than  one  third  of  all  the  money  raised  by  the  American  Board  is  ex- 
pended in  the  Turkish  Empire.  So  far  the  Mohammedans,  or  Moslems,  as 
they  are  often  called,  have  not  been  reached  to  any  extent.  The  few  who 
have  accepted  the  Christian  faith  have  been  bitterly  persecuted  ;  some  have 
been  killed.  But  the  day  when  the  followers  of  Mohammed  shall  be  reached  is, 
we  believe,  not  far  distant,  and  we  hope  that  Christian  songs  will  some  day  be 
again  heard  in  the  restored  church  of  St.  Sophia. 


A    MOSLEM    HOUSEHOLD. 

The  people  in  Turkey  are  by  no  means  all  Turks.  The  Greeks,  the  Bulga- 
rians, and  the  Armenians  are  nominally  Christians.  They  have  churches, 
though  the  people  do  not  understand  what  is  said  in  them.  They  have  the 
Bible,  but  usually  in  an  ancient  version  which  they  cannot  read.  It  is  among: 
these' races,  especially  the  Armenians,  that  our  missionaries  have  had  their 
great  success,  numbering  now  ninety-four  churches  with  over  6,500  members. 
One  of  the  ladies  connected  with  the  Eastern  Turkey  Mission  has  sent  us  the 
following  interesting  account  of  family  life  in  Turkey. 


The  Empire  of  the  Sultan. 


79 


FAMILY    LIFE    IN    TURKEY. 

"  Perhaps  you  know  that  neither  in  the  Turkish  nor  Armenian  language  is 
there  any  word  for  home.  All  they  have  is  a  house  or  dwelling-place.  We  see 
in  the  picture  opposite  a  Moslem  dwelling.  The  floor  at  the  right  of  the  picture 
is  generally  of  earth,  and  those  who  are  invited  to  step  up  to  the  part  covered 
with  matting,  or  a  rug,  first  drop  their  shoes  below.  The  Arab  by  the  door, 
with  his  long,  loose,  brown  robe  and  his  head  covered  for  his  journey  with  the 
many-colored  silk  handkerchief,  does  not  presume  to  step  up  into  the  place  of 
honor,  but  shows  his  beads  for  sale  near  the  door,  where  the  servant  also 
stands,  until  bidden  to  bring  a  coal  for  the  lighting  of  the  pipes,  or  coffee  for 
the  two  turbaned  Turks.  The  mother  of  the  household  stands  meekly  by. 
Her  mouth  and  nose  should  be  completely  covered  by  the  cloth  thrown  over 
her  head.  She  may  not  sit  in  presence  of  her  liege  lord,  much  less  would  she 
or  her  daughters  think  of  occupying  a  place  on  the  divan,  or  of  asking  a  ques- 
tion, or  advancing  an  opinion,  even  about  those  amber  beads  which  are  so 
beautiful  to  their  feminine  eyes.  The  father  takes  his  little  son  to  chat  with 
him  on  the  divan,  and  if  asked  how  many  children  he  has,  would  reply,  one." 

A  picture  of  Turkish  houses,  such  as  are  seen  by  tens  of  thousands  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  Empire,  is  given  below.  Rev.  Mr.  Adams,  of  Central  Turkey, 
has  given  a  very  good  description  of  one  of  this  class  of  houses.  He  says  :  — 


COUNTRY  HOUSE  IN  TURKEY. 


"  It  consists  of  two  rooms,  each  occupying  an  entire  story  without  any  par- 
titions, or  divisions.  The  door,  of  rude  planks,  and  the  only  one  in  the  house, 
measures  about  five  and  one  half  feet  high  and  six  feet  wide,  for  the  admission 
of  a  loaded  animal,  and  opens  into  the  lower  story,  which  is  allotted  to  all  the 
domestic  animals  —  as  a  donkey  or  two,  as  many  cows,  a  few  goats,  with  a  lib- 
eral intermixture  of  fowls  —  besides  wood,  farming  tools,  etc.  Rude  stone 


So  The  Empire  of  the  Sultan. 

steps,  in  the  back  corner  opposite  the  door,  lead  to  the  upper  room.  The  floor 
of  this  room  is  a  single  course  of  rough  boards,  with  capacious  cracks,  so  that 
the  heat  from  the  animals  below  may  help  warm  the  occupants  above,  with 
the  further  convenience  of  allowing  the  good  man,  with  a  stick,  to  'hush  up' 
his  obstreperous  donkey,  and,  in  general,  to  keep  order  below,  without  descend- 
ing. With  but  two  small  windows  in  the  whole  house,  the  air,  in  a  winter 
morning,  when  every  opening  to  the  fresh  air  is  closed,  is  such  as  only  those 
*  to  the  manor  born  '  can  endure. 

"  Externally  the  house  aptly  corresponds  with  the  interior.  The  brush  and 
sticks  of  the  roof  projecting  at  all  lengths,  always  remind  us  of  the  brim  of  our 
boyhood's  palm-leaf  hat,  in  butterfly  season,  in  New  England  ;  the  everlasting 
manure  heap  near  the  door,  decked  with  fowls,  if  not  by  a  dog,  ready  to  try  his 
teeth  upon  every  visitor ;  the  absence  of  a  bush,  vine,  or  tree  as  a  screen  from 
the  fierce  sun,  all  make  a  picture  that  outrages  language  when  called  a  house. 
Yet  in  such  places  thousands  of  children  are  born  and  grow  up,  with  scarcely 
a  blooming,  healthy  countenance  among  them  all." 

On  the  opposite  page  is  a  house  of  quite  another  order,  though  it  also  is  in 
Turkey.  This  one  is  the  house  of  a  Greek  in  the  city  of  Antioch,  and  repre- 
sents well  the  open  courts  that  are  found  in  connection  with  the  dwellings  of 
the  wealthy.  The  same  missionary  lady  quoted  above  writes  also  of 

WOMAN    IN   TURKEY. 

*'  It  is  sad  to  think  of  the  low  place  occupied  by  woman  in  Turkey,  of  the  fact 
that  she  is  given  in  marriage  to  one  whom  she  has  never  even  seen,  perhaps  is 
obliged  to  work  like  a  slave,  with  no  gentle  '  If  you  please,'  or,  '  Thank  you,'  to 
make  the  tasks  lighter.  She  is  bound  by  custom  and  expediency  to  cover  her 
face  even  while  working  in  the  fields  under  a  summer  sun,  or  when  cooking  by 
the  hot  fire,  and  she  is  forced  to  live  a  life  of  silence,  with  no  opportunities  for 
that  growth  and  culture  which  come  from  mingling  in  society.  Can  we  wonder 
at  the  words  spoken  by  a  good  Protestant  mother  who  said  with  tears,  as  she 
looked  at  her  little,  dark -eyed  daughter  :  '  I  never  mourned  at  the  birth  of  a 
child  before,  but  as  I  think  of  what  this  little  girl  must  experience  in  this  land, 
with  no  liberty  and  so  little  respect,  I  am  ready  to  wish  that  she  had  never  been 
born.' 

"  Yet  the  lot  of  these  poor  women  is  improving  year  by  year.  Look  into 
the  beautiful  school-rooms  of  the  seminaries  for  girls,  established  by  the  mis- 
sionaries in  Marsovan,  Manisa,  Aintab,  Cesarea,  Hadjin,  Harpoot,  Mardin, 
Erzroom,  Bitlis,  and  Beirut,  and  tell  me  if  the  children  of  those  educated  there 
can  ever  be  satisfied  with  the  low  life  of  the  women  of  the  present  day.  Look 
into  the  colleges  at  Beirut,  Aintab,  and  Harpoot,  and  judge  if  those  well- 
dressed,  gentlemanly  young  men  will  allow  their  wives  to  work  in  the  fields, 
gather  up  manure  for  the  winter's  fuel,  or  stand  silently  by  while  they  eat  or 
smoke.  In  Protestant  homes  you  may  now  very  often  see  the  mother  and 
daughters  eating  at  the  same  table  with  the  father  and  sons,  a  thing  unheard  of 
in  the  'good  old  days'  before  Protestant  innovations.  Recently,  in  one  of  the 
large  cities  of  Turkey,  a  prominent  Protestant  invited  a  Turkish  pasha  to  din- 
ner, and  allowed  his  own  wife  to  partake  of  the  meal  with  them.  Formerly 
she  would  not  have  entered  the  presence  of  that  Turk.  In  these  days  it  is  not 
uncommon  in  fine  weather  to  see  a  whole  family  out  on  the  hills  for  a  little 


The  Empire  of  the  Sultan. 


Si 


82 


TJie  Empire  of  tJie  Sultan. 


recreation,  the  woman  chatting  as  much  as  she  wishes,  and  only  growing  silent 
and  dropping  back  from  her  position  at  her  husband's  side  when  you  approach. 
The  more  humble  place  behind  him,  and  the  sheet  in  which  she  is  enveloped, 
are  little  remnants  of  Orientalism  which  she  cannot  yet  abandon. 

"  The  real  Oriental  family  often  consists  of  from  thirty  to  forty  individuals, 
embracing  three  or  four  generations.  The  men  are  farmers,  their  produce 
being  mainly  wheat  and  cotton.  One  or  two  of  the  sons,  perhaps,  have 
learned  trades,  but  they  have  a  common  purse.  The  old  father  is  the  ruler  of 
the  household,  the  eldest  son  being  only  a  little  less  in  authority.  If  one  of 
the  grand-children  is  daring  enough  to  wish  to  extend  his  village  education  to  a 
college  one,  the  consent  of  all  the  mature  heads  under  this  great  roof  must  be 
obtained.  An  awkward  business,  for  some  stingy  soul  is  sure  to  rise  up  and 

say  to  the  boy's  father,  '  Then  you 
will  have  a  larger  share  than  the 
rest  of  us  in  providing  books,  cloth- 
ing, and  tuition  for  your  boy.' 

"  In  this  one  house  we  can  see 
every  variety  of  work  carried  on. 
The  women  help  the  men  to  dig 
and  plant  and  reap.  The  girls 
pull  the  weeds,  help  take  care  of 
the  cattle,  and  gather  the  cotton. 
In  the  long,  stormy  days  of  winter 
the  low,  dark  room  is  full  of  busy 
workers.  Old  women  and  young 
girls  sit  in  the  warmest  corner  by 
the  deep  oven,  on  the  ground,  and 
pull  the  cotton  from  the  husks.  One 
or  two  young  men  pass  it  through 
the  "  roller-gin  "  to  make  it  clean 
of  seeds,  older  men  whip  it  soft 
and  light,  some  of  the  older  women  roll  it  over  a  smooth  stick  to  make  it  ready 
for  spinning,  the  younger  women  sit  all  day  with  covered  faces  at  the  wheel,  the 
occupation  only  interrupted  by  a  stirring  in  the  cradle  at  their  elbow,  or  a  trip 
with  the  jug  to  the  village  fountain.  Finally  they  take  the  thread,  and  on  a 
clumsy  loom  weave  it  into  cloth  for  the  clothing  of  the  household,  or  into  rough 
bags  for  the  produce  of  their  fields. 

"This  primitive  mode  of  life  is  being  broken  into  by  modern  notions  that 
there  is  less  quarreling  and  more  prosperity  where  the  sons  separate  and  rear 
families  by  themselves.  The  book-shelf  is  getting  to  be  part  of  the  household 
furniture.  Men  and  women  are  getting  to  be  very  much  ashamed  if  they  are 
obliged  to  say  '  No  '  when  you  ask,  '  Do  you  know  how  to  read  ? '  and  news- 
papers and  international  Sabbath-school  Lesson  books  are  creeping  over  the 
land,  and  Armenians  who  formerly  did  not  even  dare  to  wear  the  red  Turkish  fez, 
which  was  considered  as  belonging  peculiarly  to  their  masters,  the  Turks,  now 
discuss  politics.  The  city  women  abandon  the  tunic  and  indulge  in  dresses,  the 
men  adopt  the  European  costume,  houses  are  adding  a  second  story,  and  the 
rooms  gleam  with  white-wash.  The  young  men  are  restless  over  the  slowness 
of  trade  and  the  restraints  of  an  unlimited  monarchy,  and  look  with  longing 


A   TURKISH    WOMAN    WEAVING. 


The  Empire  of  the  Sultan.  83 

eyes  to  America.     Best  of  all,  from  many  a  poor,  unadorned  home,  longing 
eyes  are  turned  towards  the  Better  Land. 

"  From  out  a  village  home  not  long  ago  went  to  that  Better  Land  the  good  and 
gentle  mother,  whose  voice  had  often  been  heard  in  the  prayer-meetings  for 
women  ;  soon  the  father,  one  of  the  pillars  of  the  church,  passed  suddenly 
away,  his  last  words  being  of  perfect  trust  in  God,  and  now,  their  son,  a  gradu- 
ate of  one  of  our  Protestant  colleges  in  Turkey,  supports  the  faltering  steps  of 
his  old  grandmother,  both  of  them  ready  to  go  at  any  moment  to  make  one 
family  in  heaven.  In  this  manner  is  the  leaven  slowly  '  leavening  the  whole 
lump.'  Surely  no  one  need  ask,  'Of  what  use  this  waste?'  as  the  church 
counts  out  her  thousands  for  the  foreign  work.  Surely  no  one  need  say  to  the 
missionary,  '  You  are  throwing  your  life  away '  so  long  as  multiplied  tokens 
like  this  are  given  that  his  '  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.'  " 


HOW  THE  GOSPEL  REACHED  EGIN.-1883. 

BY    MISS    C.  E.  BUSH,  HARPOOT,  EASTERN   TURKEY. 


THE  city  of  Egin,  four  days'  journey  due  north  from  Harpoot,  is  peculiar 
among  the  cities  of  Turkey  as  to  situation,  the  characteristics  of  its  people,  and 
the  style  of  life.  Long  years  ago,  the  Armenians  built  a  city  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  one  of  two  lofty  mountains,  which,  facing  each  other,  stand  guard  over 
the  western  branch  of  the  Euphrates  as  it  flows  between  them.  The  sterility 
of  the  soil,  the  inaccessibility  of  the  place,  and  its  undesirability  as  a  site,  gave 
them  hope  of  being  delivered  from  the  envy  and  the  enmity  of  their  enemies, 
while  a  wonderful  spring  of  water,  clear  as  crystal,  cheered  them  with  the  pros- 
pect of  making  even  "  the  desert  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose,"  and  gave 
the  name  to  the  place  Egin,  that  is,  the  "  Eye"  of  the  mountain. 

The  place  grew  also  to  be  one  of  the  strongholds  of  the  Gregorian,  or  old 
Armenian,  faith,  and  now  contains  two  large  stone  churches,  having  a  bishop 
and  numerous  priests.  The  people  are  hospitable,  refined,  and  versed  in  all 
the  etiquette  of  Oriental  life.  The  city  affording  but  small  facilities  for  earn- 
ing a  livelihood,  its  inhabitants  have  been  forced  to  seek  support  in  the  surround- 
ing villages,  Constantinople,  and  even  foreign  lands,  so  that  many  are  absent  from 
home  for  fifteen,  twenty,  or  even  thirty  years.  They  often  acquire  wealth, 
and  a  knowledge  of  the  world,  so  that  their  homes  are  quite  luxurious.  The 
better  class  of  women  dress  in  broadcloth  and  silk,  and  are  bright  and  pretty. 
They  possess  far  greater  influence  than  in  most  towns  in  this  land.  The 
largest  Gregorian  school  for  boys  has  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  pupils,  and 
one  for  girls  is  well  attended  ;  but  the  training  is  deficient  in  almost  every  respect, 
and  many  of  the  beautiful  and  ladylike  women  whom  one  meets  do  not  even 
know  how  to  read  !  The  houses,  which  are  neatness  itself,  are  surrounded  by 
gardens  of  fruit-trees,  and  the  clear  water  from  that  exhaustless  spring  flows  even 
through  the  streets  in  the  summer  time.  The  eastern  mountain  hides  the  sun 
as  long  as  it  dares  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  western  peak  wards 
off  the  heat.  Here,  as  in  cities  so  situated  in  Switzerland,  that  sad  deformity, 
the  goitre,  is  found,  as  well  as  asthma,  caused  by  climbing  the  steep  streets. 

About  sixteen  years  ago,  the  Bible  in  the  modern  tongue  first  found  a  wel- 
come in  a  few  homes  and  hearts.  Muggerdich,  a  poor  man,  was  the  first 
Protestant.  He  was  not  known  as  such  for  a  long  time,  as  he  had  no  com- 
panions. Now,  his  family  is  considered  the  most  truly  Christian  and  carefully 
trained  in  the  place.  Paris,  one  of  his  daughters,  was  in  our  school  awhile, 


How  the  Gospel  Reached  Egin.  85 

and  now  Muggerdich  is  to  send  another  daughter,  a  very  lovely  Christian  girL 
He  has  been  quite  a  bookseller,  of  course  without  pay. 

In  1870,  Kapriel  Agha  and  Harootune  Agha  became  convinced  of  the  truth, 
and  often  met  to  read  the  Bible  and  pray  together,  but  did  not  separate  them- 


MOUNTAIN    PASS    IN    EASTERN    TURKEY. 


selves  from  the  old  church.  Alexan  Agha  joined  them  after ( awhile  and  their 
first  thought  was  to  employ  a  priest  who  should  read  the  Bible,  preach,  and  pray, 
without  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  old  church  to  which  they  had  been 
accustomed  from  childhood.  They  collected  money  for  a  school  also,  but 
soon  found  that  their  plan  would  not  work;  they  must  come  out  as  Protest- 


86  How  the  Gospel  Readied  Egin. 

ants  and  they  were  advised  by  Protestants  in  other  places  to  send  to  Harpoot 
for  a  preacher.  The  most  suitable  person  was  thought  to  be  Mr.  Mardiros 
Iknadiosian,  of  this  city,  then  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Harpoot.  The 
request  was  sealed  and  sent,  Nikoghos  Agha,  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the 
place,  and  now  a  prominent  church  member,  putting  his  seal  thereto  and 
saying,  "I  am  with  you,"  though  he  did  not  leave  the  old  church  till  six 
months  later. 

Three  years  now  had  passed  since  these  brethren  had  become  convinced  of 
the  truth,  but,  though  they  had  borne  much  reproach,  they  had  not  separated 
wholly  from  the  old  Gregorian  faith.  One  Sunday,  it  being  a  feast-day  in  the 
church,  when  their  absence  would  be  most  noticeable,  Kapriel  Agha  and 
Harootune  Agha,  each  without  knowing  the  decision  of  the  other,  determined 
not  to  attend  the  services  that  day  or  go  to  the  Gregorian  Church  any  more. 
The  former  came  to  the  latter's  house  ;  each  made  known  his  decision ;  and 
they  spent  the  day  in  prayer,  conversation,  and  reading  the  Bible.  They  did 
not  know  any  gospel  hymns.  People  then  commenced  to  call  them  "  Protes," 
and  a  few  who  had  joined  them  in  searching  the  Scriptures  and  praying,  now 
could  not  bear  the  reproach  and  turned  back. 

A  church  was  formed,  or  rather  thirteen  members  were  received  as  a  branch 
of  the  Arabkir  Church.  In  1873,  this  became  a  separate  organization,  with  Mr. 
Mardiros  Iknadiosian  as  pastor.  There  was  great  earnestness  in  preaching  the 
truth  to  individuals,  and  in  learning  to  read.  Old  ladies  with  white  hair,  and 
spectacles  on  nose,  pored  over  the  primer,  and  learned  with  remarkable  rapidity. 
I  think  that  they  are  the  most  striking  examples  of  diligence  in  this  direction,  of 
any  women  in  our  field. 

Before  the  formation  of  the  church,  or  about  that  time,  there  was  bitter 
persecution,  friends  refusing  to  speak  to  relatives  who  had  become  Protestant, 
and  even  spitting  upon  them  when  meeting  them  in  the  street.  One  man  was 
set  upon  in  his  own  home  and  beaten  severely.  For  three  days  he  was  obliged 
to  hide  in  caves  in  the  mountains.  The  most  notable  instance  was  the  perse- 
cution of  Harootune  Agha  and  his  family  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  their  child, 
eight  years  of  age.  The  Gregorians  did  not  allow  them  to  bury  the  body 
anywhere,  not  even  in  their  own  garden.  The  Turks  offered  a  place  in  their 
burying-ground,  but  even  this  would  not  be  permitted  by  the  excited  crowd  who 
hated  Protestantism.  All  the  time  that  the  body  was  in  the  house  two  other 
children  were  very  ill.  The  mother,  Gada  Hatoon,  said,  in  the  anguish  of  her 
soul :  "  What  shall  I  do  if  they  also  die?"  But  she  remembers  to  this  day  the 
perfect  peace  and  joy  with  which  she  went  about  the  house  at  her  work,  and 
says,  "  It  was  wonderful !  "  They  finally  had  to  send  the  body  to  the  village 
of  Shepik,  at  least  eight  and  one  half  hours  distant,  for  burial,  and  on  the 
road  their  enemies  tried  to  bribe  the  muleteer  to  leave  it  half  way,  unburied, 
but  he  refused  to  do  so  mean  an  act. 

The  pastor  has  now  gone  to  a  professorship  in  Aintab  College,  but  has  left 
his  mark  on  the  congregation,  and  there  are  a  number  of  young  people  fully 
capable  of  leading  a  prayer  meeting,  and  three  or  four  who  fill  the  pulpit 
with  great  acceptance  on  the  Sabbath.  There  are  forty-five  members  in  the 


How  tJie  Gospel  Reached  Egin.  87 

Protestant  Church,  six  of  whom  have  been  lately  received  as  the  fruit  of  some 
special  interest  among  the  women  during  the  week  of  prayer.  Between  eighty 
and  one  hundred  persons  form  the  average  Sabbath  attendance.  The  amount 
given  in  1882  by  the  people  for  pastor,  schools,  and  benevolent  objects,  was 


some  7,970  piastres,  or  $314,  a  large  sum  where  money  is  worth  so  much  more 
than  it  is  in  America. 

The  school  is  taught  by  a  graduate  from  Aintab.  It  is  not  large,  containing 
only  thirty  pupils,  nor  is  the  place  suitable.  The  people  will  soon  have  to  raise 
money  for  a  new  chapel  and  schools.  They  have  no  girls'  school  at  present, 
for  lack  of  a  suitable  teacher,  which  we  hope  soon  to  supply.  I  understand 


88  Hoiv  tJic  Gospel  Reached  Egin. 

that  there  are  about  forty  Protestant  families  in  the  place,  but  the  Bible  is  found 
in  many  other  houses,  and  many  are  convinced  of  the  truth  but  are  kept  back 
from  receiving  it,  from  regard  for  friends  or  their  station  in  society.  There  are 
many  infidels  among  the  young  men  belonging  to  the  Gregorian  Church.  The 
Protestant  families  are  among  the  first  and  most  influential  in  the  place. 

Many  of  the  people  were  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  the  Bible  by  their  little 
children  who  attended  our  Protestant  school.  One  dear  girl  was  observed  to 
go  regularly  to  a  quiet  corner  in  the  house  and  pray  most  earnestly  and  tear- 


A    WATER    WHEEL    AND    AQUEDUCT    IN    TURKE/. 

fully  for  forgiveness  and  salvation.  ';If  this  is  necessary  for  my  little  daughter, 
who  scarcely  knows  what  it  is  to  sin,  what  is  my  duty?"  reasoned  the  father,  now 
the  most  upright  and  influential  of  the  Protestants.  This  same  little  Mary  grew 
to  a  lovely  Christian  womanhood,  and  was  married  to  the  only  educated  phy- 
sician they  have  in  the  city,  a  devoted  Christian,  and  graduate  of  Aintab  Medical 
School.  A  few  brief  months  of  happiness  only  were  granted  them,  and  then  by 
her  patience  and  beautiful  faith  in  all  the  trying  sufferings  of  consumption,  she 
preached  the  gospel  to  one  and  all  as  they  had  never  heard  it  before. 

These  Egin  Christians  have  a  sturdy  piety.  They  "search  the  Scriptures," 
and  are  thoughtful  and  independent.  Will  you  not  pray  that  God  will  send 
his  Holy  Spirit  with  convicting  power  to  make  the  souls  about  them  willing 
to  be  saved? 


SLAM. 


IN  the  year  570  A.  D.,  at  the  city  of  Mecca,  in  Arabia,  Mohammed  was  born. 
The  religion  which  he  founded  is  called  Islam,  and  those  who  profess  it  are 
called  Moslems.  Islam  means  "entire  submission  to  God."  This  faith  has 
multitudes  of  followers,  there  being  not  less  than  six  million  Moslems  in  Europe, 
while  the  number  in  the  whole  world  is  estimated  at  about  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  millions,  so  that  not  far  from  one  eighth  of  the  population  of  our 
globe  acknowledge  the  False  Prophet.  At  the  great  Mohammedan  missionary 


MOSQUE    OF    SULTAN    ACHMED.    CONSTANTINOPLE. 

university  at  Cairo  in  Egypt,  there  are  at  this  day  ten  thousand  students  under 
training,'  ready  to  go  to  any  part  of  the  world  to  teach  the  doctrines  of  Islam. 
Our  missionaries  meet  these  Moslem  priests,  not  in  Turkey  alone,  which  is  the 
centre  of  their  power,  but  also  in  Persia,  India,  and  China,  and  in  the  heart  of 


90  Islam. 

Africa.  Very  few  who  have  professed  this  faith  have  ever  been  led  to  renounce 
it  for  Christianity.  This  is  partly  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  fear  of  persecution, 
for  the  Moslems  hold  that  it  is  not  only  proper  but  a  bounden  duty  to  kill  any 
one  who  abjures  his  faith  in  their  prophet. 

On  the  opposite  page  is  a  picture  of  the  Kaaba  at  Mecca,  the  most  cele- 
brated of  all  the  mosques  of  Islam,  it  was  an  idolatrous  temple,  long  before 
Mohammed  was  born,  the  legend  among  the  Arabs  being  that  Adam  and  Eve 
came  to  Mecca  after  they  were  driven  out  of  the  garden,  and  were  there  per- 
mitted to  construct  a  temple  on  the  model  of  the  one  in  Eden.  In  a  corner  of 
one  of  the  walls  of  the  Kaaba  is  the  famous  "  Black  Stone,"  of  which  the  tra- 
dition is  that  the  angel  Gabriel  brought  it  from  Paradise.  Though  there  is 
nothing  remarkable  in  the  stone  itself,  it  being  a  common  piece  of  basalt,  semi- 


MOiQuE    OF   TH^    PlGEONS.    CONSTANTINOPLE 

circular  in  shape,  about  six  inches  high  and  eight  broad,  it  is  deemed  most 
sacred,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  pilgrims  have  crossed  sea  and  land  that 
they  might  kiss  it. 

Mohammed  often  visited  the  Kaaba  when  he  was  a  boy.  When  a  young  man 
he  used  to  travel  with  some  of  the  caravans  which  went  northward  into  Syria 
for  trade.  During  these  journeys  he  doubtless  saw  and  heard  much  of  the 
Christians  and  Jews.  He  must  have  learned  of  their  sacred  books.  But  alas  ! 
he  learned  little  of  what  pure  Christianity  was  from  what  he  saw.  Sad  cor- 
ruptions had  crept  into  the  Christian  Church,  and  Mary  and  the  saints  and 
numberless  images  were  worshipped  in  place  of  God.  But  in  some  way,  whether 
from  the  teachings  of  the  Old  Testament  or  not  is  not  quite  clear,  Mohammed 
was  led  to  accept  the  grand  truth  which  his  idolatrous  ancestors  had  not  known, 
and  which  the  Christian  Church,  as  he  saw  it,  had  lost  sight  of,  that  there  was 
but  one  God,  and  that  it  was  sacrilege  to  worship  images.  So  he  entered  the 


Islam.  91 

Kaaba  and  preached  this  truth.  He  announced  himself  as  the  prophet  of  God. 
and  sought  to  destroy  all  idols.  This  aroused  the  opposition  of  his  fellow-towns- 
men. After  a  time  they  planned  to  destroy  him,  but  he  escaped  them.  In  the 
year  622  took  place  the  celebrated  "  Hejira,"  or  Flight  of  Mohammed  from 
Mecca  to  Medina.  From  this  flight  of  their  prophet  the  whole  Mohammedan 
world  computes  its  era,  just  as  the  Christian  world  dates  its  years  from  the 
birth  of  our  Lord. 


It  was  during  this  flight  that  the  life  of  the  prophet  is  said  to  have  been 
saved  once  by  a  spider  and  once  by  pigeons.  The  spider  spun  his  web,  and  the 
brooding  pigeons  remained  undisturbed,  by  the  mouth  of  a  cave  where  Moham- 
med had  hidden,  and  his  pursuers  thinking  that  no  man  could  have  been  there, 
passed  on.  It  is  in  remembrance  of  this  deliverance  that  to  this  day  pigeons 
are  fed  from  the  tower  of  one  of  the  mosques  of  Constantinople. 

Before  he  left  Mecca  Mohammed  began  to  have  what  he  called  revelations 
from  heaven.  He  caused  the  account  of  his  visions  to  be  written  out,  and 


92 


Islam. 


these  records,  with  what  he  added  afterward  at  Medina,  constitute  the  Koran, 
or  sacred  book  of  the  Moslems.  It  consists  of  one  hundred  and  fourteen  chap- 
ters, and  every  word  Mohammed  declared  to  be  of  divine  command.  The  vol- 
ume contains  many  excellent  precepts,  and  the  first  portions  of  it,  written 
before  the  flight  from  Mecca,  are  much  more  gentle  in  tone  than  the  later  chap- 
ters, which  were  composed  after  Mohammed  had  given  way  to  his  pride  and 
passions.  If  he  wished  to  defend  any  act  of  his,  however  wicked,  or  when  he 
would  excite  his  followers  against  his  enemies,  he  had  only  to  write  another 
chapter  commending  his  course  and  cursing  his  opposers,  and  give  it  out  as  a 
message  directly  from  God.  For  instance,  when  he  wished  to  marry  more 
wives  than  he  had  allowed  to  others,  an  addition  to  the  Koran  appeared,  which 

said,  "  O  prophet,  we  have  allowed  thee  wives This  is  a  peculiar  privilege 

granted  thee  above  the  rest  of  believers." 


STREET    IN   CONSTANTINOPLE. 

After  reaching  Medina  Mohammed  and  his  followers  undertook  to  advance 
the  faith  by  force  rather  than  by  argument.  The  wars  which  followed  were 
marked  by  scenes  of  fearful  cruelty.  On  one  occasion  some  eight  hundred 
Jews  were  led  out  in  companies  of  five  or  six,  and  butchered  in  cold  blood  in 
Mohammed's  presence.  He  conquered  Mecca  in  630,  and  destroyed  all  the 
idols  in  the  Kaaba.  Two  years  later  he  died  at  Medina,  but  his  followers  obeyed 
his  injunctions,  and  fought  for  the  faith  of  Islam.  Ten  thousand  Christian 
churches  are  said  to  have  been  either  destroyed  or  converted  into  Mohammedan 
mosques.  Jerusalem  was  captured  in  636,  and  Alexandria  in  640.  Less  than 
one  hundred  years  after  Mohammed's  death,  Spain  was  subjugated,  remaining 
under  Moslem  power  for  over  seven  hundred  years.  In  the  East  conquests 
were  made  in  Persia  and  beyond,  while  the  Caliphs,  or  successors  of  Moham- 
med, reigned  at  Bagdad.  After  some  centuries  the  Turks  appear  on  the  scene, 
coming  as  a  warlike  tribe  from  Northern  Asia.  They  overthrew  the  Arabs,  but 
they  accepted  their  religion,  and  became  the  most  vigorous  supporters  of  Islam. 


Islam, 


93 


They  conquered  Constantinople,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  they  were  about 
to  conquer  all  Europe.  It  is  not  quite  two  hundred  years  since  they  were  finally 
beaten  back  at  Vienna.  The  Sultan  of  the  Turks  claims  to  be  the  successor  of 
Mohammed,  and  to  have  authority  over  the  whole  Moslem  world,  even  in  India 
and  China.  But  the  Persians  and  some  others  deny  this,  and  say  that  their 
caliph  must  be  of  the  same  Arab  family  as  their  prophet. 

WHAT    ISLAM    TEACHES. 

There  is  a  single  sentence  which  contains  the  creed  of  the  Moslem  :  "  There 
is  no  God  but  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his  prophet."  This  is  repeated  over 
and  over  as  the  one  great  article  of  faith.  Its  belief  in  one  God  and  its  utter 
rejection  of  all  idols,  have  given  Mohammedanism  its  great  power.  No  images 
or  pictures  are  seen  in  its  mosques. 

Islam  teaches  that  Moses  and  Jesus  were  prophets  of  God,  but  not  of 
such  rank  as  was 
Mohammed.  No 
one  who  has  any 
clear  idea  of  what 
Jesus  and  Moham- 
med taught  can  for 
a  moment  suppose 
that  they  can  both 
be  prophets  of  the 
same  God.  Their 
teachings  are  di- 
rectly opposite.  Je- 
sus preached  the 
gospel  of  love  to 
all  men,  even  to 
enemies.  Moham 
med  commanded 
his  followers  to 
pursue  and  to  kill 
all  who  would  not 
follow  him.  Some 
of  the  utterances 
of  Mohammed, 
however,  seem  to 
authorize  the 
sparing  of  the 
lives  of  Christians 
and  of  Jews,  inas- 
much as  they  have 

a  "book  religion;"  that  is,  a  religion  founded  on  a  revelation  contained  in  a 
book.  But  then  he  requires  that  even  "  the  people  of  a  book  "  shall  be  "  fought 
against  and  brought  very  low." 

Islam  is  a  religion  of  forms.  There  are  certain  ceremonies  to  be  observed, 
and  in  a  very  precise  way.  The  rules  regarding  religious  exercises  are  very 


MOSLEMS    BEFORE    THE    MOSQUE. 


94 


Islam. 


exact.  Prayer  is  to  be  offered  five  times  each  day,  and  if  it  is  not  offered 
according  to  rule,  it  loses  all  power.  Unless  one  has  first  bathed,  and  unless 
the  bathing  was  done  after  a  prescribed  form,  the  prayer  is  nought.  According 
to  the  law  of  Islam,  if  a  man  washes  his  left  hand  before  his  right,  or  his  nose 
before  his  teeth,  he  cannot  pray  acceptably.  So,  too,  if  the  order  of  his  pros- 
trations is  not  exact,  and  if  his  face  is  not  turned  towards  Mecca,  his  prayer  is 
vain.  We  remember  seeing  some  Mohammedan  pilgrims  try  to  pray  in  the 
midst  of  a  storm  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  The  vessel  was  tossing  about,  and 
the  poor  bewildered  people  knew  not  in  which  direction  Mecca  was.  And  so 
they  could  not  pray  !  It  would  be  of  no  use  unless  they  could  face  their  sacred 
city.  Such  reverence  do  Mohammedans  show  to  Mecca  that  they  bury  their 
dead  with  their  sightless  eyes  turned  towards  the  birthplace  of  their  prophet. 

It  is  very  impressive  to  a  traveler  in  the  East  to  hear  the  call  for  prayer  from 
the  minarets  of  the  mosques.  The  muezzin  ascends  to  a  balcony  of  the  min- 
aret, as  represented  in  the  picture  opposite,  and  in  a  clear  musical  voice  repeats 
the  creed,  "  There  is  no  God  but  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his  prophet,"  and 
calls  to  prayer.  The  devout  Moslem,  wherever  he  may  be,  and  whatever  he 
may  be  doing,  instantly  prostrates  himself  and  goes  through  his  forms  with 
apparent  devotion.  One  seeing  this  can  hardly  fail  to  regard  the  Moslems  as  a 
very  religious  people,  but  the  favorable  impression  will  soon  vanish  if  he  watches 
these  formalists,  for  he  will  find  them  cursing  and  cheating  and  lying  without 

any  conscience  whatever.  Lying  is 
their  special  vice.  They  seem  to  have 
almost  lost  the  power  to  appreciate  the 
truth  or  to  speak  it. 

MOSLEM    WOMEN. 

The  religion  of  Mohammed  makes 
woman  the  slave  of  man.  The  home  is 
destroyed  by  permitting  more  than  one 
\\  ife  in  the  family.  A  man  is  allowed 
to  put  away  his  wife  whenever  he 
pleases  without  giving  any  reason.  He 
may  beat  her  as  he  would  a  beast,  and 
the  right  of  the  husband  to  do  this  is  not 
only  defended  but  frequently  exercised. 
Women,  though  not  absolutely  excluded 
from  mosques,  are  seldom  seen  there. 
Few  of  them  can  read,  and  they  are 
not  expected  to  know  anything.  They 
are  never  to  be  mentioned  in  conver- 
sation, and  are  never  to  appear  in  public  without  a  veil.  They  are  required 
to  live  in  seclusion,  and  to  allow  no  man  to  see  their  faces  There  has  been 
latterly  some  falling  away  from  the  old  rigid  requirement  of  a  thick  covering 
for  the  face,  and  in  Constantinople  and  some  other  places,  Turkish  women  now 
nppear  with  a  comparatively  thin  veil.  But  they  are  still  kept  apart,  distrusted 
and  degraded.  In  the  street  cars  of  Constantinople  there  is  a  partitioned  place 
for  the  women.  They  are  not  esteemed  worthy  to  ride  with  men.  Girls  are  not 


A  TURKISH  LADY 


Islam. 


95 


wanted  in  any  family,  and  a  Moslem,  if  asked  how  many  children  he  has,  never 
thinks  of  counting  his  daughters,  or  even  mentioning  them.  They  are  con- 
sidered as  not  worth  speaking  of.  How  different  from  the  place  given  to 
women  by  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ !  What  an  infinite  blesssing  it  would  be 

to  Moslem  women  if  the  gospel  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  could  take  the  place  of  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Koran  !  Light  would  come  into 
their  homes,  and  they  would  no  longer  be  the 
slaves  but  the  equals  of  men. 


THE  GOSPEL  AMONG  THE  MOSLEMS. 

When  the  American  Board  began  its  missions 
in  the  East,  the  Moslems  were  chiefly  had  in 
view.     It  was  soon  found,  however, 
that  the  idea  the  Turks  and  Arabs 
had  formed  of  the  Christian  religion 
from  the  corrupt  sects  of  so-called 
Christians,  like  the  Greeks  and  Ar- 
menians dwelling  among  them,  ut- 
terly prevented   their  acceptance  of 
Christian  teachings.     They  wanted 
no  such  religion  as  that    they  saw 
in    these    people   who 
bore      the       Christian 


name.  Before  any  impression,  therefore,  could  be  made  on  the  Moslems,  it  wad 
necessary  to  show  them  a  purer  Christian  Church  than  they  had  hitherto  known. 
And  so  our  missionaries  began  their  labors  among  the  Armenians  and  Greeks, 
and  by  the  side  of  these  old  churches  from  which  faith  and  good  morals  had 


9s  Islam. 

died  out,  new  and  pure  churches  have  been  built  up.  Already  the  Moslems 
are  seeing  that  they  had  not  known  what  Christianity  was,  and  that  in  its  new 
form  as  taught  and  exemplified  by  our  missionaries,  its  fruits  are  excellent.  But 
the  Mohammedans  are  very  bigoted  and  fanatical,  and  they  hold  the  rod  of 
persecution  so  fiercely  over  all  their  people  that  few  would  dare  to  leave  their 
old  faith  even  if  they  wished  to.  The  few  who  have  embraced  the  Christian 
religion  have  been  driven  into  exile,  if  not  put  to  death.  There  have  been 
some  remarkable  cases  of  firmness  on  the  part  of  several.  The  Missionary 


A    MOSLEM    CEMETERY. 

Herald  several  years  since  contained  the  account  of  the  arrest  and  imprisonment 
at  Marash,  of  Mustapha,  who,  when  questioned,  boldly  told  the  governor  of  the 
province,  "I  am  a  Christian."  "Take  him  to  prison,"  said  the  governor. 
Within  an  hour  the  son  of  Mustapha  was  thrust  into  the  same  prison,  and  at 
midnight  officers  entered,  and  after  tying  the  hands  of  father  and  son,  and  also  a 
rope  about  the  father's  neck,  dragged  them  off,  compelling  them  to  walk  one 
hundred  and  thirty  miles,  threatening  and  insulting  them  all  the  way,  but  ready 
to  free  them  the  moment  they  would  say  they  were  not  Christians.  For  some 
years  now  the  father  has  wandered  homeless  for  Christ's  sake,  and  has  been 
obliged  to  hide  from  his  relentless  persecutors.  But  he  still  held  fast  to  his  faith. 
Only  five  years  ago  Ahmed  Tewfik,  a  high  Turkish  official  at  Constantinople,  was 
condemed  to  death  for  assisting  a  missionary  in  translating  the  Bible  and  other 
Christian  books.  He  did  not  profess  to  be  a  Christian,  but  he  had  to  do  with 
the  Christians,  and  so  he  was  condemned.  He,  however,  escaped  after  a  year's 
imprisonment,  and  reached  England.  We  trust  a  better  day  is  soon  to  come 
for  the  deluded  followers  of  the  False  Prophet,  when  they  will  be  able  without 
fear  of  man  to  confess  their  faith  in  the  one  God  and  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 


THE  ARMENIANS. 


WHAT  is  known  in  history  as  Armenia  is  a  region  somewhat  larger  than  New 
England  and  New  York  combined,  and  yet  the  scholars  in  our  schools  cannot 
find  so  much  as  the  name  of  Armenia  in  some  of  the  best  books  of  geography 
which  they  study.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  Armenia,  though  very  important 
historically,  is  no  longer  a  nation  by  itself.  At  present  it  is  only  a  part  of 
Turkey,  and  it  has  come  so  fully  under  the  authority  of  the  Turkish  Sultan  at 
Constantinople  that  it  is  difficult  to  give  any  exact  bounds  which  mark  it  off 
from  the  rest  of  Turkey. 

Armenia  lies  in  the  eastern  part  of  Asia  Minor,  south  and  southeast  of  the 
Black  Sea.  From  Constantinople  you  must  travel  some  six  hundred  miles 
towards  the  sun-rising  to  reach  its 
western  border,  and  then  you  must 
go  on  four  hundred  and  thirty  miles 
before  you  come  to  its  eastern  border. 
It  is  a  fine  mountainous  country,  with 
several  large  rivers,  among  them  the 
Euphrates  and  the  sources  of  the 
Tigris.  Near  the  center  of  this  re- 
gion is  the  famous  Mt.  Ararat,  where 
the  ark  rested,  and  many  suppose 
that  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  some- 
where within  the  boundaries  of  Arme- 
nia. On  this  account  the  region  is 


sometimes  called 
race. 


the  cradle  of   our 


THE    HISTORY   OF   THE   ARMENIANS. 

The  people  themselves  claim  that 
their  race  sprung  from  a  great-grand- 
son of  Noah,  named  Haig,  and  hence 
they  call  themselves  Haiks.  The  race 
is  certainly  a  very  ancient  one,  and 
it  was  well  known  long  before  the 
time  of  Christ.  Some  of  the  Arme- 
nians say  that  the  gospel  was  brought  to  their  ancestors  by  the  Apostle  Thad- 
deus  only  a  few  years  after  Christ  died.  But  whether  this  is  true  or  not,  it  is 
certain  that  Christianity  became  the  religion  of  the  state  in  the  beginning  of 
the  fourth  century.  This  was  accomplished  through  the  influence  of  Gregory, 


ARMENIAN    PRIEST. 


98 


The  Armenians. 


called  the  "  Illuminator,"  who  was  a  remarkable  man,  and  is  still  held  in  highest 
esteem  by  Armenians,  as  a  saint  and  a  teacher.  The  Bible  was  translated  into 
the  Armenian  language  as  early  as  A.  D.  411,  and  the  people  still  possess  copies 
of  it  in  their  churches,  holding  it  in  great  reverence.  But  since  that  early  day 
the  language  has  passed  through  such  changes  that  the  old  Armenian  is  hot 
understood  by  the  people,  and  the  Bible,  though  they  have  it  in  their  hands,  is 
practically  in  an  unknown  tongue.  Oftentimes  the  priests  themselves  do  not 
understand  the  words  they  use ;  they  only  repeat  the  sounds  which  they  have 
heard.  The  Armenians  were  conquered  by  the  Mohammedans  in  the  year 
837  A.  D.,  and  ever  since  have  suffered,  oftentimes  in  terrible  ways,  from  the 
oppression  of  their  masters.  The  whole  race  is  now  estimated  at  about  four 
million  souls,  but  they  are  widely  scattered  ;  probably  not  over  a  quarter  part 
of  the  four  millions  live  within  the  bounds  of  Armenia.  The  rest  of  them  are 

to  be  found  in  Russia,  Persia,  and 
India,  as  well  as  in  Constantinople 
and  other  parts  of  Europe. 

THE   ARMENIAN    FAITH. 

Though  the  Armenians  claim  the 
name  of  Christian,  they  know  little  or 
nothing  of  the  gospel  as  Jesus  taught 
it.  In  some  respects  they  are  like  the 
Roman  Catholics,  and  one  section  of 
them  acknowledges  the  authority  of 
the  Roman  Church.  But  the  ortho- 
dox Armenians  are  followers  of  Greg- 
ory, and  so  are  often  termed  Grego- 
rians,  and  the  head  of  their  church, 
called  the  Catholicos,  lives  at  Ech- 
miadzin, not  very  far  from  Kars,,in 
Russian  Armenia.  They  reverence 
the  Bible,  though,  as  may  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  they  have  it  only  in 
their  ancient  language,  which  they  do 
not  understand,  they  are  but  little  in- 
fluenced by  its  teachings.  They  be- 
]jeve  jn  the  worship  of  saints  and  of 
pictures  and  of  the  cross.  They  confess  to  their  priests  and  practice  penance, 
but  they  reject  in  theory  the  doctrine  of  purgatory,  though  many  of  the  com- 
mon people  seem  to  believe  in  such  a  state.  They  celebrate  the  mass,  and  hold 
that  the  bread  used  in  the  sacrament  is  literally  changed  into  the  body  of  Christ. 
But  forms  of  service  do  not  make  men  holy,  and  the  Armenian  church  has  been 
very  corrupt.  What  good  could  be  expected  to  come  from  a  religion  which 
consists  in  worshiping  in  a  church  where  the  priest  stands  with  his  back  to  the 
people,  and  mumbles  over  words  which  the  audience  cannot  comprehend,  and 
of  which,  possibly,  he  himself  does  not  know  the  meaning  ?  As  a  body  they 
are  as  ignorant  of  Christian  truth  as  they  would  be  if  they  had  never  heard  the 
name  of  Christ.  It  is  sad  to  think  of  so  many  who  have  the  Bible  in  their 
hands,  but  who  do  not  know  the  power  of  the  gospel. 


The  Armenians. 


99 


ARMENIAN    WOMEN,    NEAR    KARS. 


The  Armenians. 


ARMENIAN    ECCLESIASTICS. 

There  are  said  to  be  nine  grades  of  ecclesiastics  among  the  Armenians,  but 
we  give  pictures  in  this  number  of  only  three  of  them.  The  priest,  on  the  first 
page,  has  on  his  street  dress,  a  loose  robe  made  with  flowing  sleeves.  He 
wears  a  bell-shaped  cap,  and  carries  a  string  of  beads  in  his  hand.  These 
priests,  unlike  the  Romanists,  are  not  only  allowed  to  marry,  but  are  obliged  to 
marry.  Every  village  has  its  priest,  and  in  the  cities  they  abound.  They 
never  preach  or  teach,  but  merely  keep  up  the  formal  services  in  the  churches, 

baptizing  and  marrying  the  people, 
and  burying  the  dead.  The  varfa- 
beds.  a  name  often  met  with  in  letters 
from  our  missionaries,  are  like  the 
Romish  monks,  not  living  among  the 
people,  as  the  priests  do,  but  usually 
gathered  by  themselves  in  monas- 
teries. The  bishop  is  represented  in 
the  picture  with  his  staff,  or  mace, 
which  is  the  symbol  of  his  authority 
over  the  priests.  He  ordains  them 
and  rules  them  as  he  pleases.  But 
over  him  is  the  cafholicos,  whose 
chief  business  seems  to  be  to  ordain 
the  bishops  and  to  prepare  the 
meiron  or  holy  oil,  which  the  inferior 
clergy  must  buy  of  him.  This  oil  is 
supposed  to  have  wonderful  power., 
since  in  its  preparation  the  reputed 
arm  of  St.  Gregory,  who  died  some 
1400  years  ago,  is  plunged  into  the 
vessel  containing  the  ingredients, 

i     and  when    this   is  done,  the  whole 

PATRIARCH  AT  CONSTANTINOPLE  mass  is  said  to  begin  at  once  to  boil. 

This  oil  is  sold  at  a  great  price,  and  the  revenue  from  this  source  supports  the 
catholicos.  The  patriarch,  represented  above,  is  an  official  residing  at  Con- 
stantinople, through  whom  the  Turkish  authorities  govern  the  Armenian 
Church. 

In  1831  the  American  Board  began  its  missions  among  the  Armenians.  The 
first  church  was  formed  in  1846,  but  already  there  are  7,000  church  members. 
The  Armenian  ecclesiastics  at  the  outset  were  bitterly  hostile  to  our  mission- 
aries, but  latterly  many  of  them  have  shown  a  better  spirit.  To  say  nothing  of 
the  changes  effected  outside  of  the  Armenian  church,  the  reformation  within  is 
very  marked.  Now  the  priests  are  compelled  in  many  places  to  preach,  for 
since  the  Protestants  came  the  people  demand  instruction.  The  Scriptures  in 
the  modern  language  are  read  more  and  more,  and  Christian  schools  are  rapidly 
Tnultiplying.  Great  as  have  been  the  results  already  achieved,  we  confidently 
look  for  yet  greater  things  among  the  Armenians  within  a  few  years. 


LETTER  FROM  EASTERN  TURKEY. 


DEAR  YOUNG  FRIEXDS: — I  am  sure 
you  will  be  happy  to  go  with  me  while 
I  show  you  some  interesting  things  in 
a  foreign  land.  We  will  suppose  that 
we  have  crossed  the  Atlantic,  have  gone 
through  Europe,  have  seen  the  sights 
of  Constantinople,  have  ascended  the 
beautiful  Bosphorus,  and  are  now  on 
the  dark  waters  of  the  Black  Sea  on 
our  way  to  Trebizond.  The  shores 
along  which  we  sail  are  green  and  beau- 
tiful. Bold  promontories  extend  far 
out  into  the  sea ;  deep  and  charming 
gorges  push  back  into  the  mountains  ; 
houses,  surrounded  by  fields  of  corn  or 
olive  orchards,  dot  the  mountain  side. 

We  stop  at  several  cities  by  the  way, 
and  after  three  days'  sailing  find  our- 
selves approaching  Trebizond.  It  is  a 
very  beautiful  sight  that  presents  itself 
as  we  move  past  the  town,  and  gaze  at 
the  pretty  white  houses,  the  mosques, 
with  their  tall  minarets,  the  dark  green 
of  the  pleasant  gardens,  and  the  back- 
ground of  mountain  and  craggy  rock. 

Our  steamer  drops  anchor  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore,  and 
the  picture  on  the  next  page  gives  a 
part  of  the  view  that  may  be  seen  from 
the  deck.  In  the  foreground  is  the  pier 
where  we  shall  land  ;  beyond  appear  a 
little  of  the  bay,  and  the  boats  drawn 
up  on  the  beach,  and  then  the  houses 


A   GREEK    LADY. 


102 


Letter  from  Eastern  Turkey. 


and  the  foliage  of  the  city.     There  is  a  graveyard,  too,  for  the  tall  sombre 
cypresses  you  see  are  never  planted  except  in  Turkish  cemeteries.     To  the 


extreme  left  on  the  hill-side  is  a  monastery  of  the  Greek  church,  and  if  our  pic- 
ture were  to  go  further  to  the  left,  it  would  show  us  a  high  precipitous  rock,  the 


Letter  from  Eastern  Turkey. 


103 


top  of  which  is  flat  like  a  table.     From  this,  it  is  supposed,  the  town  derived  its 
name,  which  in  the  Greek  language  means  "  table." 

A  swarm  of  little  boats  conies  out  from  the  shore  to  take  us  off,  but  they  are 
not  permitted  to  come  near  until  our  health  papers  have  reached  the  land,  and 
been  examined  at  the  quarantine  office,  the  building  which  partly  appears  at  the 
extreme  right  of  our  picture.  If  it  is  found  that  we  have  no  contagious  disease 
on  board  ship,  a  small  red  flag  is  raised  over  the  quarantine  office,  and  the 
boatmen  rush  on  board  the  steamer,  shouting,  elbowing  each  other,  and  some- 
times getting  into  sharp  quarrels.  We  will  wait  until  the  noise  quiets  down, 
then  engage  our  boat,  give  our  baggage  to  the  boatman,  and  go  down  the  stairs 
at  the  side  of  the  steamer  to  disembark.  If  the  waves  are  high  it  will  not  be 
easy  to  reach  the  boat  while  it  is  bounding  like  an  egg-shell  on  the  crests  of  the 
waves.  But  with  the  help 
of  the  brave  and  skillful 
oarsmen  this  difficulty  will 
be  overcome,  and  we  shall 
be  quickly  pulled  to  the 
shore.  Our  baggage  is  ex- 
amined at  the  custom- 
house, and  loaded  on  the 
backs  of  porters,  who  are 
here  called  "  hamals,"  and 
we  start  up  the  steep  as- 
cent to  the  city.  Thou- 
sands of  boxes  and  bales 
and  barrels  block  our  way, 
and  hundreds  of  horses 
and  camels  and  wagons 
stand  ready  to  be  loaded 
for  the  interior  and  for 
distant  Persia. 

As  we  move  along,  half- 
naked  and  importunate 
beggars  run  after  us  or 
cry  out  from  the  roadside 
in  the  hope  that  gratitude  for  a  prosperous  voyage  will  incline  us  to  give  them 
something.  We  see  people  in  even-  sort  of  costume.  Some  are  dressed  like 
ourselves,  only  wearing  the  red  Turkish  cap,  or  "fez."  Some  of  the  Greeks 
whom  we  meet  wear  hats,  and  their  ladies  have  the  latest  Paris  fashions,  though 
most  of  the  women  you  see  on  the  streets  are  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  a 
checked  white  and  blue  cloth.  Here  are  men,  too,  who  display  the  costumes  of 
Persia,  of  Russia,  and  of  all  the  different  races  and  provinces  of  Turkey.  Our 
picture  shows  a  fine  Armenian  gentleman,  who  still  wears  the  dress  of  his- 
fathers,  an  elegant  turban  on  his  head,  a  long  gown  with  graceful  flowing 
sleeves,  a  rich  and  costly  girdle,  and  the  curious  baggy  trousers  called  "  sbal- 
wars."  As  we  pass  the  better  houses  we  catch  through  some  open  gates 
glimpses  of  green  shrubbery,  of  lovely  flowers,  and  of  the  bright  blossoms  of 
the  orange  and  the  pomegranate.  And  we  can  also  see  the  women  knitting  or 


AN  ARMENIAN    GENTLEMAN. 


104 


Letter  from  Eastern  Turkey. 


weaving  or  preparing  their  food.     On  the  first  page  of  this  letter  is  a  picture  of 

one  of  our  Greek  women  in  her  in- 
door dress.  The  little  cap  on  her 
head  is  covered  with  gold  coins ;  a 
string  of  pieces  of  money  hangs 
from  her  neck,  which  no  one,  not 
even  her  husband,  can  take  from 
her.  Her  girdle  is  woven  of  silver 
threads,  from  which  hangs  an  ele- 
gant Persian  shawl,  and  her  neat 
open  skirt  and  her  large  drawers 
are  of  costly  and  brilliant  material. 
She  evidently  belongs  to  a  family  of 
wealth. 

Here  we  have  rough  sketches  of 
two  striking  characters  often  seen 
in  Turkey.  The  first  is  a  sav- 
age-looking mountaineer  called  a 
Zeibek,  with  his  tall  round-topped 
cap,  dangling  with  tassels,  short 
breeches  and  leggins,  and  his  broad 

girdle  glistening  with  sword  and  pistols.     And  here  is  the  "  Tartar,"  or  post- 
man who  takes  charge  of  the  mail  between  Trebizond  and  Erzroom.     Once  a 

week,  when  the  Turkish  steam- 
er arrives  from  Constantinople, 

the  mail-bags  for  Erzroom  are 

lashed  to  the  pack-saddles  of 

as  many  horses  as  are  needed, 

the  horses  are  hitched  to  each 

other,  and  a  man  riding  another 

horse  leads   them.     A  soldier 

generally  goes   as  guard,  and 

the  party  of  five  or  six  horses 

gallop  off  in  order  to  deliver 

the  letters  and  papers  to  the 

dear  friends  in  Erzroom  as  soon 

as  possible.     The   horses  are 

changed  every  fifteen  or  twenty 

miles,  and  the  whole  distance 

of  171  miles  is  made  in  about 

sixty  hours.     You  see  the  Tar- 
tar's head  is  so  tied  up  that 

neither  the  burning  rays  of  the 

sun  by  day,  nor   the  chilling 

frosts  at  night  can  harm  him, 

his  feet  set  firmly  in  the  large  A  TARTAR- 

iron  stirrups,  and  the  cloak  which  hangs  from  his  shoulders  protects  him  fror.i 

the  beating  storm  as  he  rides,  and  is  his  bed  and  covering  while  he  sleeps. 


Letter  from  Eastern   Tiirkey.  105 

His  life  is  a  hard  one,  but  he  is  accustomed  to  danger  and  hardship,  and  is 
most  happy  when  in  the  saddle  and  on  the  road. 

It  is  among  a  people  like  these,  my  dear  friends,  that  your  missionary  work  is 
done  in  Turkey.  And  if  you  were  to  go  with  me  to  any  of  our  school-houses,  you 
would  see  the  children  studying  their  books  as  diligently  as  in  any  school  in 
America ;  or  if  on  Sunday  we  were  to  go  to  the  chapel  we  would  find  a  goodly  con- 
gregation reverently  listening  to  gospel  truth  ;  in  the  Sabbath-school  we  would 
see  the  classes  arranged  with  teachers,  and  all  with  question-book  and  Bible  in 
hand,  searching  God's  Word  diligently  to  learn  the  way  of  life.  In  more  than 
three  hundred  places  scattered  throughout  Turkey,  not  less  than  twenty-five 
thousand  people  come  together  every  week  to  worship  God.  Will  you  not  pray 
and  labor  that  the  number  of  truth-seekers  in  Turkey  may  rapidly  increase  ? 

Your  missionary  friend, 

M.  P.  PARMELEE. 
ERZROOM,  EASTERN  TURKEY. 


THE  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  FALSE  PROPHET. 


IT  is  said  that  not  far  from  one  hundred  and  eighty  million  human  beings 
are  followers  of  Mohammed,  the  prophet  of  Islam.  They  are  to  be  found 
in  many  portions  of  the  Eastern  hemisphere  besides  those  ruled  by  the 
Turkish  Sultan.  In  Arabia,  Persia,  and  the  kingdoms  of  Central  Asia,  the 
principal  religion  is  Mohammedanism,  and  millions  who  accept  this  faith 
are  found  living  by  the  side  of  Hindoos  and  Parsees  in  India.  Wherever 
the  Arabs  go  they  carry  this  religion,  and  hence  in  Africa  along  the  Medi- 
terranean Sea,  on  the  East  and  West  coasts,  as  well  as  far  in  the  interior  of 
the  continent,  the  followers  of  Is- 
lam abound.  The  Koran  is  their 
sacred  book,  which  they  greatly 
reverence  but  do  not  obey.  Are 
they  very  different  in  this  from 
many  who  reverence  the  Bible 
as  a  holy  book,  but  do  not  fol- 
low its  commands  ?  Yet  these 
people  seem  very  devout  often- 
times, especially  in  their  prayers, 
for  wherever  they  may  happen  to 
be  at  the  hours  of  prayer,  which 
come  several  times  a  day,  even  if 
it  be  in  the  open  street,  they  will 
immediately  turn  their  faces  to- 
wards Mecca,  their  sacred  city, 
and  begin  their  forms  of  prayer. 
The  Mohammedans  are  said  to 
be  bitterly  opposed  to  idolatry, 
and  it  is  true  that  they  never  al- 
low any  images  or  pictures  to  be 
placed  in  their  mosques  or  temples,  but  the  following  story  recently  for- 
warded from  Eastern  Turkey  by  Dr.  Barnum,  of  Harpoot,  shows  that  they 
are  hardly  a  step  removed  from  idolaters.  This  is  his  story  :  — 

REVERENCE    PAID    TO    A    SHOE. 

"  Last  Sunday,  being  in  the  village  of  Hoghi,  I  heard  a  noise  in  the  street 
like  the  passing  of  a  triumphal  procession.  Inquiring  the  cause,  I  was  told 
that  they  were  carrying  a  '  Sacred  Handkerchief '  to  the  house  of  the  Turk- 
ish Agha,  or  chief  man  of  the  village.  It  seems  that  in  the  imperial  treas- 


MOH«MM_DAN    MUFTI. 


The  Followers  of  the  False  Prophet. 


10; 


ury  at  Constantinople,  there  was  a  shoe  which  was  said  to  have  been 
worn  by  Mohammed,  the  Prophet  of  Islam.  Some  six  or  eight  years  ago 
the  mate  to  it  was  said  to  have  been  found  at  Mosul  or  Bagdad,  and  as  the 
Turkish  Government  wished  to  possess  this  also,  it  was  carried  to  Con- 
stantinople with  great  pomp.  It  was  escorted  from  place  to  place  by  both 

^ 


MOSLEMS   AT    SUPPER. 

citizens  and  soldiers.  It  remained  a  few  days  at  Harpoot,  and  was  visited 
by  great  crowds.  Almost  everything  that  was  suitable  for  turbans  was  ap- 
propriated, a  sum  of  money  was  paid  for  the  privilege  of  touching  the 
turban  cloth  to  the  shoe,  and  it  was  then  bound  around  the  head.  A  large 
number  of  handkerchiefs  had  been  brought  to  the  shoe  at  different  places 
and  wrapped  around  it.  This  contact  with  the  shoe  gave  to  them,  in  the 
minds  of  the  people,  a  part  of  its  own  sacred  character.  One  of  these 
handkerchiefs  had  become  the  property  of  the  Agha  of  Hoghi.  He  had  a 
nice  box  prepared  for  it,  and  assigned  it  a  special  room  in  his  house.  As 
he  became  intemperate,  it  was  not  considered  proper  for  it  to  remain  in  his 
house,  and  so  it  was  taken  to  the  mosque,  which  is  the  place  of  worship. 


io8 


The  Followers  of  the  False  Prophet. 


This  man  professes  to  have  reformed  recently.  He  had  fitted  up  a  room 
nicely  for  the  sacred  handkerchief,  and  was  permitted  to  have  the  care  of 
it  again,  so  on  Sunday  he  took  the  casket  on  his  head,  and  bore  it  home 
amidst  the  songs  and  shouts  of  the  crowd." 


MOHAMMEDAN    PILGRIMAGES. 


The  one  act  which  a  Moslem  thinks  more  meritorious  than  any  other,  is  the 
Hadji,"  or  pilgrimage  to  Mecca.    Mecca  is  their  most  sacred  city,  the  birth- 


A    MOHAMMEDAN    PILGRIM    FROM    AFRICA. 

place  of  Mohammed.  Thousands  on  thousands  go  there  every  year  from 
almost  all  parts  of  the  world,  from  China,  India,  Africa,  as  well  as  from 
Turkey  and  Arabia.  They  believe  that  if  they  walk  seven  times  around 
the  Caaba,  or  great  temple,  at  Mecca,  repeating  praises  to  God  and  in 
honor  of  the  prophet,  and  kissing  the  sacred  stone,  they  shall  receive  par- 


The  Followers  of  the  False  Prophet. 


109 


don  for  all  their  sins,  and  so  be  sure  of  paradise.  Hence  they  go  in  crowds, 
and  some  of  them,  burdened  with  their  sins,  are  quite  willing  to  die  if  they 
can  only  reach  a  shrine,  the  touch  of  which,  as  they  suppose,  will  make 
their  salvation  certain.  And  multitudes  of  these  poor  pilgrims  do  die  at 
Mecca,  and  a  vast  cemetery,  of  which  only  a  little  section  is  given  in  the 


CEMETERY  OF  PILGRIMS  AT  MECCA. 

accompanying  picture,  contains  the  graves  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
deluded  men  who  have  hoped  to  enter  heaven  as  a  reward  for  kissing  a 
stone.  When  will  the  millions  of  Islam  leam  of  the  true  prophet  of  God  ? 
They  acknowledge  now  that  Jesus  was  a  prophet,  but  think  him  inferior  to 
Mohammed.  It  is  the  belief  of  the  missionaries  that  the  religious  as  well 
as  the  political  power  of  Mohammedanism  is  waning,  and  though  as  yet 
few  of  its  adherents  have  been  converted,  a  great  and  speedy  turning  on 
their  part  may  be  looked  for  with  hope.  May  they  soon  learn  that  the 
name  of  Jesus  is  above  every  name. 


ERZROOM  AND  ITS  VILLAGES. 

BY  REV.  M.  P.  PARMELEE,  M.D.,  OF  TREBIZOND. 


MY  DEAR  YOUNG  FRIENDS,  —  The  city  of  Erzroom,  in  Turkey  in  Asia,  is 
situated  near  the  headwaters  of  the  river  Euphrates,  and  is  more  than  six 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  I  wish  you  could  see  the  broad  and 
beautiful  plain  on  which  it  is  built  as  I  first  saw  it  in  the  summer  of  1863.  For 
more  than  a  week  we  had  been  wending  our  weary  way  on  horseback  across  high 
mountains,  sleeping  at  night  in  bare  and  cheerless  khans,  and  it  was  a  great  joy 
to  see  from  a  mountain  top,  in  the  dim  distance  across  the  Erzroom  plain,  the 


A  VILLAGE  NEAR  THE  ARAXES. 

outlines  of  the  city  that  was  to  be  our  home.  Though  seeming  near,  it  was  nearly 
two  days  before  we  reached  our  journey's  end.  The  hearty,  almost  triumphant, 
reception  then  given  us  by  our  missionary  and  native  friends  caused  us  to  forget 
the  weariness  of  the  long  journey,  and  made  us  feel  at  home  at  once. 

And  yet  how  new  and  strange  it  all  seemed.  The  flat  roofs  of  the  houses,  the 
queer  and  varied  costumes  of  the  people,  the  unknown  tongues  around  us,  the 
squeaking  of  the  clumsy  ox-carts,  all  testified  that  we  had  reached  a  remote  cor- 
ner of  the  earth.  The  cackling  of  the  hens  and  the  barking  of  the  dogs  were 
almost  the  only  familiar  sounds  that  fell  on  our  ears.  And  though  so  new  to  us, 
everything  appeared  really  very  old.  The  old  city  walls  were  in  ruins,  many  of  the 


Erzrooin  and  its    Villages. 


1 1 2  Erzroom  and  its  Villages. 

houses  were  in  a  tumble-down  condition,  and  the  graveyards  formed  a  wide  band 
entirely  encircling  the  city.  And  surely  these  mountains  have  a  right  to  seem 
old.  for  they  are  the  mountains  of  Ararat,  where  the  ark  of  Noah  rested ;  and 
for  four  thousand  years  these  fields  have  been  tilled,  and  for  nearly  half  that 
period  men  have  lived  and  died  in  this  city.  The  city  of  the  living  contains  only 
about  sixty  thousand  souls,  but  at  least  two  and  a  half  millions  are  buried  in  the 
city  of  the  dead. 

But  little  by  little  these  strange  sights  grew  familiar,  and  we  were  able  to  speak 
to  the  people  of  the  love  of  Jesus.  Then  we  began  to  make  long  tours  among 
the  villages,  such  as  are  shown  in  two  of  the  pictures  here  given.  When  stop- 
ping over  night  in  one  of  these  places,  we  and  our  horses  enter  the  same  outer 
door,  and  are  led  through  a  long  dark  passage  into  the  stable.  Though  it  were 
freezing  cold  outside,  in  this  underground  stable  the  air  is  well  heated  by  the 
breath  and  bodies  of  scores  of  animals  —  cows,  oxen,  sheep,  buffaloes,  and 
horses.  Our  horses  are  tied,  and  we  are  shown  into  the  odah,  which  is  only  a 
corner  of  the  stable,  raised  a  step  or  two  above  the  level  of  the  floor,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  low  railing.  On  one  side  of  the  odah  is  a  fireplace,  in  which  dried 
manure  is  burned.  A  small  hole  in  the  roof  gives  the  only  light  of  the  place. 
Here  we  are  invited  to  sit  down  on  felt  carpets,  our  backs  being  supported  by 
cushions  stuffed  with  straw.  A  tiny  cup  of  black  muddy  coffee  is  served  to  us, 
and  in  a  little  while  a  round  low  table  is  brought  in  and  set  before  us.  On  this 
are  spread  long  thin  loaves  of  bread  which  seem  like  sheets  of  coarse  wrapping- 
paper.  Then  a  dish  of  fried  eggs  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  table,  and  we 
are  invited  to  eat.  After  we  have  asked  God's  blessing  on  the  food  and  our 
hospitable  entertainers,  we  begin  by  tearing  off  a  bit  of  the  bread,  and  folding  it 
into  the  shape  of  a  spoon.  With  this  (called  the  sop  when  Jesus  was  eating  with 
his  disciples)  we  dip  up  some  of  the  egg  and  eat  it,  spoon  and  all.  After  the 
egg  is  finished,  a  dish  of  curdled  milk,  called  madzoon,  is  brought,  with  perhaps 
a  plate  of  cheese,  curiously  made  into  strings.  Though  eating  in  this  rude  man- 
ner, and  in  such  an  unsavory  place,  our  horseback  ride  in  the  stimulating 
winter  air  has  given  us  such  an  appetite  that  we  eat  with  a  right  good  relish,  and 
are  well  satisfied. 

At  a  suitable  moment  we  open  our  Testaments  and  read  and  talk  of  the  way  of 
salvation,  occasionally  singing  a  hymn.  This  usually  calls  a  throng  into  the  odah 
and  stable,  who  come  to  see  and  hear  these  things  that  are  so  new  and  strange 
to  them.  After  a  pleasant  but  very  wearisome  evening  spent  in  this  way,  and 
ended  with  prayer,  we  begin  to  arrange  for  the  night.  We  could  not  sleep  on 
these  carpets,  as  the  people  do,  for  there  are  too  many  fleas,  and  perhaps  other 
living  things,  so  we  have  a  light  folding  bedstead,  or  a  hammock  which  can  be 
suspended  from  the  posts  that  support  the  roof.  Sometimes  we  are  obliged  to 
swing  out  over  the  animals  of  the  stable,  so  that  we  are  soothed  to  sleep  by  the 
puffing  and  chewing  sounds  of  our  animal  friends. 

Under  the  influence  of  this  preaching  many  villages  have  greatly  changed  dur- 
ing this  score  of  years.  Many  schools  have  been  established,  and  the  people  are 
reading  and  studying  the  Bible  for  themselves,  and  trusting  in  Christ  for  their 


Erzroom  and  its  Villages.  I13 

salvation.     Many  hundred  viUages  and  cities  still  remain  in  their  old  darkness 


and  we  want  to  carry  the  light  of  the  gospel  to  them  also.     Will  you  not  have 
share  in  this  good  work  ? 


MARTYRED  TURKS  OF  THYATIRA. 


[The  following  narrative  is  translated  from  an  old  volume  in  French,  containing  some  account  of  the  Jesuit  mis. 
sions  in  Constantinople  and  the  Levant  during  the  seventeenth  century.  The  translation,  which  had  come  into  the 
hands  of  Rev.  Marcellus  Bowen,  formerly  missionary  at  Smyrna,  has  been  kindly  furnished  by  him.] 

A  NOTORIOUS  martyrdom  of  twenty- three  Turks  occurred  in  the  town  of 
Thyatira,  famous  in  old  times,  of  which  St.  John  made  mention  in  the  Reve- 
lation. It  was  on  this  wise. 


AN  ORIENTAL  ENCAMPMENT. 

There  was  in  that  town  a  sheik,  or  doctor  in  the  law  of  Mohammed,  who  was 
in  high  repute  among  his  people.  He  had  been  intrusted  with  the  teaching  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  young  men  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  years  of  age,  in  order 
to  prepare  them  to  fill  the  offices  of  judges  and  cadis.  He  was  a  thorough 
master  of  the  Alcoran,  and  had  read  in  it  that  the  prophet  did  not  condemn  the 
teachings  of  the  New  Testament,  but,  on  the  contrary,  had  spoken  well  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  of  Moses.  He  had,  therefore,  curiosity  to  see  what  was  written  in 


Martyred  Turks  of  1  hyatira.  \  \  5 

the  Holy  Gospel,  and  by  a  special  direction  of  Divine  Providence  met  will; 
a  New  Testament  translated  into  Arabic. 

He  was  not  long  in  possession  of  that  Divine  Book  without  receiving  light  from 
heaven  and  accepting  the  Christian  truths.  They  had  so  powerful  an  influence 
on  his  mind  that  he  was  constrained  to  condemn  all  that  was  contrary  to  the 
teachings  of  the  New  Testament,  and  to  act  according  to  what  was  contained  in  it. 


AK  HISSAR,  THE  ANCIENT  TKYATIRA.* 

He  could  not,  however,  stop  there,  neither  could  he  hide  the  light  he  hrd 
received  from  heaven.  He  succeeded  so  far,  by  the  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  many  of  his  young  scholars  were  convinced  that  there  was  no  salvation  but 
by  Jesus  Christ. 

These  young  men  kept  this  as  a  secret  for  a  long  time,  but  used  often  to  meet 
iOgether  with  their  master  to  confer  on  the  great  subject  of  their  salvation.  As 

Ak  Hissar  is  an  out-station  of  the  Western  Turkey  Mission  of  the  American  Board,  and  is  sit- 
sixty  miles  northeast  of  Smyrna.     Its  present  population  is  not  far  from  8,000,  made  up  of  Turks. 


1 1 6  Martyred  Tttrks  of  Thyatira. 

it  is,  however,  difficult  to  keep  a  burning  fire  in  a  dark  place,  without  its  being 
discovered,  these  young  men  could  not  always  effectually  conceal  the  faith  that 
filled  their  hearts,  in  their  intercourse  with  their  companions,  and  even  with  their 
relatives,  who  perceived  such  a  notable  change  in  their  children,  and  tried  to 
ascertain  the  cause.  The  whole  case  soon  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
judicial  authorities,  who  are  very  strict  on  this  subject,  and  who,  in  order  to 
quench  this  fire  in  its  beginning,  laid  hands  upon  the  sheik.  They  tried  at  first 
to  win  the  old  man  by  gentle  means,  not  wishing  to  ruin  one  enjoying  so  great 
repute.  They  represented  to  him  the  great  esteem  in  which  they  held  him,  and 
promised  to  raise  him  to  the  highest  dignities  if  he  would  consent  to  undeceive 
those  whom  he  had  misled.  He  well  knew,  also,  how  important  a  religious  mat- 
ter of  this  kind  was,  and  what  vigorous  punishment  their  faith  ordered  upon  tho^'c 
who  were  in  fault. 

Those  in  authority  thought  this  would  be  enough  to  bring  the  old  man  back  to 
his  duty,  and  oblige  him  to  disown  his  convictions.  But  they  were  astonished 
to  hear  him  answer  that  he  was  no  longer  of  an  age  to  disavow  his  conscientious 
convictions  in  a  matter  in  which  nothing  less  than  his  own  salvation  was  at  stake, 
and  that  all  he  had  taught  concerning  the  truth  of  the  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  was 
too  positive  to  allow  him  to  disown  his  teaching. 

The  cadi,  greatly  surprised  at  this  answer,  and  hoping  to  frighten  him  by  the 
prospect  of  torture,  told  him  with  much  anger  that  he  must  choose  one  of  the 
two  following  courses  :  either  to  retract  his  teaching,  or  to  undergo  a  most  cruel 
death.  The  venerable  old  man,  prompted  by  a  holy  zeal  to  bear  witness  before 
all  men  of  his  faith  given  from  heaven,  answered  the  cadi :  "  How  !  do  you  think 
that  the  stake,  the  gallows,  or  the  flames  frighten  me,  and  that  I  am  afraid  to  die 
for  the  glory  of  God,  and  for  the  truth  in  Jesus  Christ?  Know,  then,  that  I  am 
ready  to  die  a  thousand  times,  if  possible,  for  the  love  of  him  who  died  once  for 
me,  and  that  it  will  be  a  great  honor  to  seal  with  my  blood  the  truth  I  have 
taught.  I  am  not  deceived  in  the  doctrine  I  have  accepted,  and  happy  are  they 
who  abandon  Mohammed  to  live  in  Jesus  Christ." 

Hearing  these  words,  the  judges  forbade  him  to  speak,  beating  him  at  the 
same  time  with  sticks  so  severely  that  he  could  no  longer  utter  a  word.  But, 
though  he  could  not  speak,  his  countenance  showed  perfect  calmness,  and  the 
constancy  and  quietness  with  which  he  suffered  astonished  his  judges.  Being 
afraid,  however,  that  if  they  continued  to  torment  him  publicly  the  common  peo- 
ple, who  had  great  respect  for  the  old  man,  might  revolt  against  such  treatment, 
they  resolved,  after  much  consultation,  lest  his  example  should  engage  others  to 
'.mitate  him,  to  have  him  strangled  in  prison.  This  was  done,  and  his  immortal 
soul  went  to  receive  the  crown  from  Him  whom  he  had  so  firmly  confessed. 

After  this,  the  authorities  tried  to  seize  the  disciples  of  the  old  man,  and  ascer- 
tain how  far  they  held  and  persevered  in  the  faith  of  their  master.  Some  of  them 
had  fled  from  the  town,  or  had  concealed  themselves.  Others  went  in  different 
ilirections,  and  taught  publicly  the  truths  they  had  learned  from  their  master. 
Finally,  twenty-two  of  these  young  men  were  seized,  and  the  authorities  decided 
to  force  them  to  deny  their  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  or,  if  they  would  not,  to  punish 
them  in  such  a  way  that  none  of  them  would  afterwards  be  bold  enough  to  speak 
^f  that  doctrine  or  profess  it  longer.  What  decided  the  judges  to  pursue  this 


Martyred  Turks  of  Tliyatira. 


117 


course  was  the  great  excitement  caused  by  the  cruel  death  of  the  old  sheik.  It 
was  talked  over  by  all  the  common  people  and,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  old 
man's  favor.  The  cadi  summoned  the  young  men,  and  told  them  they  must 
renounce  the  doctrine  they  had  learned,  or  forfeit  their  lives ;  that  they  should 
entertain  no  hope  of  being  treated  as  the  old  sheik  had  been,  but  must  undergo  the 
most  atrocious  tortures.  Oh,  how  powerful  is  the  grace  of  God  !  On  hearing 


A  TURKISH  MERCHANT  WITH   HIS  CAMEL. 

of  tortures  the  young  men  showed  more  readiness  to  submit  to  them  than  the 
judge  to  inflict  them.  The  cadi,  after  trying  a  long  time  to  persuade  them  to 
retract,  seeing  that  they  were  all  as  decided  to  maintain  their  faith  in  Christ  as 
the  old  sheik  had  been,  handed  them  over  to  the  executioners.  Some  were 
pierced  with  arrows ;  some  were  impaled ;  some  were  burnt  alive ;  others  were 
thrown  upon  a  cruel  and  horrid  implement  of  torture  called  garich,  composed  of 
numerous  iron  crampoons  upon  which  the  tortured  person  is  thrown  from  a  high 
place,  and  there  remains  suspended,  pining  away  for  a  long  time  before  dying. 
Thus  ended  their  glorious  career,  triumphing  over  death  and  their  tyrants. 


VILLAGE  LIFE  IN  BULGARIA. 


BY    REV.    I.    H.    HOUSE,    SAMOKOV. 


THE  Bulgarians  are  largely  an  agricultural  people.  The  country  people  do 
not  live  in  farm-houses  scattered  about  upon  the  farms,  but  are  gathered  together 
for  mutual  protection  in  towns  and  villages.  The  villagers  are  a  sturdy  race, 
finely  developed  physically,  many  of  them  being  not  only  strong  and  muscular, 
but  also  tall  and  well  proportioned.  They  are  rather  slow  of  intellect,  and, 
from  want  of  educational 
privileges,  ignorant  and  su- 
perstitious. They  have,  to 
a  remarkable  degree,  how- 
ever, been  awakened  to  a 
sense  of  the  value  of  edu- 
cation, and  have  a  strong 
desire  to  provide  educa- 
tional privileges  for  their 
children.  They  are  char- 
acterized by  a  strong  love 
of  political  independence 
and  self-government,  and 
exhibit  this  characteristic 
in  the  management  of  vil- 
lage affairs.  In  this  respect 
the  Bulgarians  seem  to  me 
to  bear  a  strong  resem- 
blance to  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race.  These  people  are  by 
no  means  found  only  in  the 
province  of  Bulgaria.  They 
are  scattered  all  through 
European  Turkey  and  Eastern  Roumelia,  living  side  by  side  with  the  Turks. 
Between  the  two  races,  however,  there  is  much  enmity,  the  difference  in  their 
religion  making  the  breach  very  wide.  The  Bulgarians  are  nominally  Chris- 
tians, and  are  connected  with  the  Greek  Church,  but  their  priests  even  are 
sadly  ignorant,  knowing  very  little  of  the  meaning  of  the  prayers  they  read  in 
their  public  services. 


-    BULGARIAN 


I2O  Village  Life  in  Bulgaria. 

The  picture  on  the  next  page,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  Illustrated 
Missionary  News,  represents  a  number  of  Bulgarian  villagers.  Two  of  them, 
as  you  see,  have  scythes.  You  will  notice  that  the  snaths  of  the  scythes  are 
straight,  and  have  only  one  handle.  They  will  appear  very  awkward  to  an 
American  farmer,  but  they  are  not  as  awkward  as  they  seem  ;  and  if  one  learns 
the  knack  of  handling  them,  as  I  can  testify  from  experience,  he  can  use  them 
with  considerable  ease.  All  their  agricultural  implements  are  very  simple  and 
rude.  Their  plow  is  very  like  that  used  in  Palestine  in  Bible  times.  It  has  but 
one  handle,  which  the  plowman  holds  with  one  hand,  while  he  carries  the  ox- 
goad  in  the  other.  It  is  little  more  than  a  crooked  stick,  hewn  so  that  the 
smaller  bent  end  will  serve  as  a  handle,  while  the*  larger  end,  with  a  rude  facing 
of  iron,  shaped  something  like  an  arrow-head,  forms  the  plowshare.  When  this 
has  been  firmly  fastened  to  a  long  pole  so  as  to  form  an  acute  angle  with  it,  you 
have  the  plow.  They  usually  plow  with  oxen  or  buffaloes,  which  are  joined 
together  with  long  yokes  which  keep  them  very  far  apart. 

The  harrow  is  oftentimes  still  more  rude.  I  have  seen  them  made  of  great 
bundles  of  brush-wood  tied  together.  The  hoes  are  clumsy  and  heavy,  re- 
sembling somewhat  the  plantation  hoes  of  the  South,  but  are  sometimes  very 
much  heavier.  Bulgaria  has  many  very  fertile  plains,  and  an  American  farmer 
would  be  much  surprised  at  the  good  crops  raised  with  such  rude  implements. 

A  villager's  house  is  a  very  simple  affair.  It  usually  consists  of  one  story, 
and  is  built  of  basket  work,  or  a  wooden  frame,  filled  up  with  rough  upright 
sticks  or  scantling.  Over  these  upright  pieces  laths  are  nailed  crosswise,  and 
the  walls  are  plastered  on  both  sides  with  two  coats  of  mud  made  from  a 
clayey  earth  mixed  with  fine  cut  straw.  If  the  villager  is  able  he  will  whiten 
these  walls,  inside  and  out,  with  lime  or  white  earth.  The  floors  are  also  usu- 
ally made  of  mud,  which,  when  it  is  dry  and  hard,  is  quite  smooth,  and  not 
as  objectionable  as  many  would  suppose.  The  roof  is  covered  with  tiles,  re 
sembling  somewhat  our  drainage  tiles,  only  they  are  less  curved.  If  the  man  is 
poor,  he  may  use  thatching  for  a  roof. 

Each  house  usually  consists  of  two  or  three  rooms.  The  main  room  is  the 
kitchen  where  the  fire-place  is,  and  the  cooking  is  done.  And  oftentimes  the 
same  room  serves  also  for  the  sleeping  apartment.  They  do  not  sleep  upon 
bedsteads,  but  spread  their  mats  and  rugs  upon  the  earthen  floor.  The  whole 
family,  including  any  guests  who  may  be  with  them,  often  sleep  in  the  one 
room.  In  the  morning  the  bed-clothing  is  neatly  folded,  and  put  in  closets  at 
the  side  of  the  room,  or,  in  unfinished  houses,  piled  up  in  a  corner. 

The  table  from  which  the  family  eats  is  two  or  three  feet  in  diameter  and  six 
or  eight  inches  high.  They  sit  upon  the  floor  as  they  gather  around  it,  and  all 
eat  from  one  central  dish,  with  wooden  spoons.  Bread  is  placed  before  each 
person,  and  eaten  without  butter,  along  with  the  cooked  food  which  serves  as  a 
relish.  They  sometimes  have  two  or  three  courses,  especially  if  they  have 
guests.  Their  food  is  quite  commonly  cooked  in  earthen  ware,  which  is  made 
into  various  convenient  shapes,  and  is  very  cheap  in  Bulgaria.  Some  of  the 
decorated  drinking  jugs  in  this  ware  are  quite  curious,  and  would  doubtless  be 
sought  after  in  this  country  as  curious  and  antique  pottery. 

One  of  the  villagers  in  the  picture  is  playing  upon  the  bagpipe,  which  with 
the  Bulgarians,  as  with  the  Scotch  Highlanders,  is  the  favorite  musical  instrument. 


Village  Life  in  Bulgaria.  121 

The  music  of  the  bagpipe  forms  the  accompaniment  for  the  village  dance  in  the 
open  air,  or  •'  choro  "  (pronounced  horo),  as  they  call  it 


Li 


In  some  of  the  villages  where  the  ancient  customs  still  prevail,  hospitality  is 
considered  a  great  virtue.     I  have  been  the  recipient  of  the  most  open-handed 


122  Village  Life  in  Bulgaria. 

hospitality  from  Bulgarian  villagers.  In  one  village,  in  which  I  was  particularly 
impressed  with  the  kindness  of  those  with  whom  we  dined,  I  was  told  that 
some  used  to  court  the  favor  of  serving  every  stranger  who  passed  through  their 
village  with  at  least  a  portion  of  bread. 

The  village  women  are  especially  industrious,  spinning  and  weaving  clothing 
for  themselves  and  all  their  households,  and  assisting  their  husbands  in  the 
field  work.  The  dress  of  the  village  women  is  oftentimes  very  picturesque,  and 
the  women  of  each  village  have  their  distinguishing  costume. 

The  Bulgarian  people  are  not  without  courage  in  war,  although  they  have 
been  a  subject  race  for  something  like  five  hundred  years.  Some  of  their 


TURKISH  OUTPOST  ON  THE  DANUBE 

national  songs,  of  which  there  are  a  great  many,  celebrate  the  prowess  of  their 
early  heroes.  In  the  late  war  between  Turkey  and  Russia,  the  Bulgarian  legion 
particularly  distinguished  itself  in  the  defense  of  the  celebrated  Shipka  Pass. 
The  most  desperate  conflict  raged  around  this  Shipka  Pass,  which,  after  it  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Russians,  was  assailed  with  the  greatest  fury  by  the 
Turkish  forces  under  Suleiman  Pasha,  after  the  terrible  destruction  of  Eski 
Zaghra.  The  pass  was  defended  in  the  most  gallant  manner  by  the  Bulgarian 
legion,  and,  although  almost  entirely  surrounded  by  the  Turks  at  one  time,  they 
held  out  until  reinforcements  could  arrive.  Water  had  to  be  carried  to  the 
brave  defenders  of  the  pass,  over  a  field  which  was  swept  by  the  enemy's  rifles. 
Bulgarian  lads,  it  is  said,  were  engaged  in  the  hazardous  enterprise  of  carrying 
water  to  the  soldiers.  A  story  is  told  of  one  of  them,  that  when  his  water-jug 
was  shivered  by  a  rifle-ball,  instead  of  rejoicing  at  his  narrow  escape,  he  wept 
at  the  spilling  of  the  water  which  was  so  much  needed  by  the  brave  soldiers. 

It  is  among  this  interesting  people,  characterized  by  so  many  good  qualities, 
that  we  are  laboring  to  introduce  the  pure  gospel.  The  success  of  the  preach- 
ing of  the  word  has  been  most  conspicuous  among  the  sturdy  villagers  whose 
life  I  have  been  describing  to  you. 


EASTER  IN  BULGARIA. 


BY   REV.    WILLIAM    H.    BELDEN. 


SAMOKOV,  BULGARIA,  EUROPE,  March  23,  1881. 

IT  is  midnight ;  but  the  busy  street  in  front  of  my  house  suggests  to  me,  as  I 
watch  by  a  sick  child,  to  write  to  the  beloved  home-land  of  the  occupations  of 
my  neighbors.  Regiment  after  regiment  of  soldiers  are  beating  the  air  with  their 
tramp  ;  now  a  lighted  carriage  jolts  along  over  the  rude  pavement,  bearing  some 
dignitary,  Bulgarian  or  Russian,  and  again  I  hear  the  shrill  cry,  amid  a  throng 
heard,  not  seen,  in  the  dark,  walled  street,  of  a  little  infant  strapped  to  its  moth- 
er's back,  all  hastening  —  whither,  at  this  dead  hour  of  the  midnight  ?  The  watch- 
man's call,  repeated  from  gate  to  gate,  has  already  warned  my  neighbors,  and  now 
a  confused  jangling  from  a  distant  campanile  is  telling  me.  It  is  religion  that  is 
summoning  the  people  from  their  beds,  and  the  alacrity  with  which  they  are  obey- 
ing is  a  measure  of  their  piety.  For  here,  a  week  later  than  in  your  calendar, 


BULGARIAN   CATHEDRAL,   SAMOKOV. 

this  day  ushers  in  the  "  Great  Day  "   (Vaylig  Den)  which  you  call  Easter.    Will 
you  walk  out  with  me  and  learn  something  of  their  religion? 

You  see  in  the  foreground  of  the  sketch  (part  of  a  bird's-eye  view)  the 
priests'  house  and  the  outer  gate  of  the  cathedral  court.  In  Turkish  times  the 
Bulgarians  were  hardly  allowed  their  sanctuaries,  and  gladly  humbled  this  one 
so  that  its  roof  should  scarcely  peep  above  the  street-wall.  But  inside  the  rude 
edifice  there  are  beautiful  walnut  carvings,  and  parts  of  the  eikons  (sacred  pic- 
tures) are  overlaid  with  pure  silver.  Listen  to  that  clangor  from  the  bell-tower 
at  the  other  end  of  the  court !  A  bar  of  steel  suffices  for  a  bell,  as  through  all 
the  Bulgarias,  save  where  poverty  or  oppression  has  substituted  a  clattering  plank. 


124 


Easter  in  Bulgaria. 


Within  the  church,  dark,  damp,  and  chilling  us  to  the  bone,  are  huddled  on 
the  stone  floor  an  indiscriminate  throng  of  men,  women,  and  children,  gathered 
from  before  nightfall,  and  still  increasing.  In  the  centre  of  the  nave  stands  a 
rude,  low  scaffolding,  upon  which  is  painted,  almost  imaged,  after  the  common 
fashion  of  the  Greek  Church,  a  portrayal  of  the  crucifixion.  It  is  an  act  of  merit, 
inuring  towards  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  to  honor  this  thing.  See  yonder 
woman  crawling  on  hands  and  knees  under  it,  dragging  along  the  moist  stones 
a  child  not  yet  old  enough  to  walk  !  Here  is  an  old  woman,  who  has  shivered, 
fireless,  through  al- 
most seventy  winters. 
She  has  lain  on  this 
cold,  damp  pave- 
ment underneath  that 
object  of  reverence, 
already  for  hours  to- 
gether, this  bitter 
night. 

"O,  Gospozhis- 
ta  !  "  now  earnestly 
pleads  a  nun  with  one 
of  our  party :  "do 
kiss  the  picture! 
You  do  not  need  to 
cross  yourself  if  you 
do  not  want  to,  but 
O,  it  will  be  a  great 
blessing  upon  you  if 
you  will  but  kiss  the 
eikon !  " 

Another  nun  is 
more  polemic.  "Why 
do  you  Protestants 
not  reverence  the 
Saviour  as  we  do? 
You  have  sweet  mu- 


AN  EIKON   (FROM  ONE  IN  USE). 


sic   in  your  church  [they  have  found  the  worth  of  our  new  organ  already],  but 
you  cannot  be  saved,  for  you  do  not  do  any  such  works  of  merit  as  these." 

The  season  of  devotion  continues  through  the  whole  night.  Some  of  our 
company  went  last  night  to  the  ceremonies  intended  to  celebrate  the  night  after 
the  crucifixion,  and  they  began  at  ten  p.  M.,  and  were  not  through  at  four  A.  M. 
It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  ceremonies ;  the  Scripture-readings,  hurriedly  dis- 
patched, are  in  the  old  Slavic  tongue,  which  is  to  the  Bulgarians  what  Latin  is  to 
us  —  a  mother  tongue,  but  unintelligible.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  incensing,  and 
there  are  certain  processions  of  the  bishop  and  the  popes,*  with  various  emblems 


*  A  priest  is  a  '*  pope  "  here.     I  bought  some  winter  groceries  of  a  "  pope"  at  the  instance  of  an  esteemed  neigh- 
bor, who  added,  as  an  inducement:  "  He  is  a  very  good  pope,  too!  "     Would  that  all  were  so! 


Eastfr  in  Bulgaria. 


suited  to  the  stage,  of  the  passion  of  our  Lord,  accompanied,  on  the  part  of  the 
people,  with  almost  constant  crossings,  buying  and  lighting  of  tapers,  and  kiss- 
ing of  the  eikons.  The  dramatic  representation  does  not  seem  as  intelligible  as 
those  of  the  Roman  Church,  and  there  is  certainly  less  of  Christ  in  it. 

This  religion  does  not  educate  the  moral  sense  of  its  followers.     The  practical 

effects  of  it  in  every-day 
Me  remind  one  continually 
of  Paul's  expressive  term, 
twice  repeated  to  the 
churches  of  his  care, 
"eye-sen-ice."  It  has  a 
noble,  manly  race  — these 
Bulgarians —  to  teach,  but 
it  cannot  do  them  justice. 
\Yhat  vitality  can  there  be 
in  a  conscience  which 
learns  only  such  a  notion 
of  prayer  as  this  :  "  I  will 
give  you  a  piastre,  pope, 
and  you  shall  say  one  pray- 
er for  me  and  my  family"  ? 
It  does  not  go  hand  in 
hand  with  the  Bible,  but 
the  Bible  recedes  behind 
its  forms.  I  wanted  to 
see  the  old  Slavic  Bible 
recently,  and  requested  a 
copy,  through  a  friend,  of 
the  Bishop  of  Samokov; 
but  none  could  be  found 
after  careful  search,  in  the 
whole  city ! 

By  the   grace  of  God, 
your    missionaries    shall 

plant  over  again  here  the  blessed  seed  of  the  tree  of  life  ;  not  in  the  dead  soil  of 
a  mysterious  ritual,  but  in  living  hearts ;  preaching,  not  dramatizing,  the  doctrine 
of  Christ ;  teaching,  not  an  outward  conformity,  but  a  new  birth,  and  a  conse- 
crated life.  Then,  when  on  Easter  morning,  and  for  thirty  following  days,  the 
"  Orthodox "  Christian  shall  utter  the  beautiful  greeting  of  the  Slavic  peoples  : 
"  Christus  vuskrusny!  "  "  Christ  is  risen !  "  the  Protestant  Christian  shall  repeat, 
with  a  new  significance,  from  his  rejoicing  heart,  the  familiar  reply :  '•  Vuskrusny 
naecstcena  /"  "  He  is  risen,  indeed  1 " 


BULGARIAN  "  POPES,"  SAMOKOV. 


INDIA. 


NDIA. 


IXDIA  was  the  first  land  to  which  the  American  Board  sent  missionaries, 
over  seventy  years  ago.  They  found  the  Hindu  people  worshiping 
many  idols,  and  in  many  foolish  and  cruel  ways.  We  have  all  heard  of 
Buddha  and  Brahma,  Juggernaut  and  Vishnu,  and  of  the  worship  of  the 
sacred  river  Ganges,  and  we  know  something  about  the  old  Hindu  customs 
of  burning  widows  and  drowning  little  children.  Great  changes  have  come 
about-  in  recent  years.  The  English  government  has  done  much  to 
civilize  the  people,  but  no  outside  changes  could  make  them  good  men  and 
women.  Various  Christian  missions  have  been  established,  and  they  have 
brought  many  souls  to  the  knowledge  and  love  of  the  true  God.  Our  own 
Board  of  Missions  has  now  two  missions  in  India,  the  Maratha  and 
Madura  Missions, 
and  another  on  the 
island  of  Ceylon. 
The  Marathi  Mis- 
sion is  in  Western 
India,  and  has  23 
churches  with  1,458 
members.  15  na- 
tive pastors,  and 
many  other  help- 
ers. There  are 
90  schools  connect- 
ed with  it.  In  the 
Madura  Mission,  in 
Southern  India, 
there  are  35  church- 
es and  199  Chris- 
tian congregations 
containing  about 
11,000  individuals. 

And  in  Ceylon  there  are  now  1,130  church- members,  4  boarding-schools,  and 
120  common-schools,  with  over  9,000  pupils.  These  figures  do  not  tell 
the  whole  glad  story,  of  course ;  for  many  happy  spirits  are  praising  God 
before  the  heavenly  throne,  who  have  gone  up,  through  all  these  years, 
from  the  plains  of  India. 

And  we  may  hope,  also,  that  since  the  beginnings  have  been  made,  and 


MtMh&MMM 

A  HINDU  TEMPLE. 


130 


hidia. 


there  are  now  so  many  native  Christians,  the  progress  will  be  much  more 

rapid  in  the  years  to 
come.  In  1878  a 
great  revival  began  in 
Southern  India,  and 
has  hardly  ceased 
yet.  Already  thou- 
sands have  been  ad- 
ded to  the  various 
missionary  church- 
es. But  there  is  still 
a  great  work  to  be 
done  to  lead  the 
Hindus  to  forsake 
the  three  hundred 
and  thirty-three  mil- 
lion gods  in  whom 
they  now  believe. 
Pray  that  they  may 
learn  of,  and  be  led 
to  serve,  the  only 
living  and  true  God. 

A   SCHOOL-HOUSE    IN    INDIA. 


THE    PARSERS    OF  .INDIA. 

There  are  people  of  many  different  religions  in  India.  The  Hindus  are 
the  original  race,  whose  forefathers  had  always  lived  in  the  land.  The 
Mohammedans  of  India  descended  from  the  Arabs,  and  the  Parsees  from 
the  ancient  Persians.  Parsee  is  the  Greek  name  for  Persian.  The  Per- 
sians were  conquered  by  Mohammedan  Arabs  in  the  seventh  century,  and 
those  who  would  not  become  Mohammedans  fled  to  India.  In  1851  there 
were  110,000  Parsees  in  the  city  of  Bombay  alone.  There  are  six  Parsee 
temples  in  India,  two  of  them  in  Bombay,  where  their  sacred  fire  is  never 
allowed  to  go  out  day  or  night,  year  after  year. 

The  Parsees  have  many  noted  merchants,  whose  wealth  is  princely.  The 
picture  on  the  opposite  page  represents  a  group  in  which  those  wearing 
turbans  are  Mohammedans ;  while  in  the  background  are  some  Parsees. 
Zoroaster,  who  was  the  founder  of  the  Parsees'  religion,  two  thousand 
years  ago,  taught  them  to  pay  honors  to  the  sun  as  an  emblem  of  God's 
power.  So  they  fell  into  the  sin  of  worshiping  the  sun  as  their  god,  and 
now  they  worship  fire  and  water  too  ;  and  the  moon  and  stars. 

PARSEE    SUPERSTITIONS. 

A  Parsee  thinks  it  is  a  great  misfortune  to  put  out  fire,  and  is  often  afraid 
even  to  snuff  a  candle,  lest  it  should  go  out.  If  his  house  is  on  fire,  he 
may  not  help  to  quench  the  flames,  and  sometimes  will  not  let  others  do 
;..-/.  Each  Parsee  family  keeps  up  a  perpetual  sacred  fire  in  the  house. 


India.  131 

Sunrise  and  sunset  are  the  principal  hours  of  worship,  and  it  pains  a  Chris- 
tian, as  he  takes  an  evening  walk  outside  a  city  in  India,  to  see  the  Par- 


MERCHANTS  OF  BOMBAY. 


sees  adoring  the  sun,  as  it  sets  in  the  western  sky.  Some  of  them  have, 
however,  been  converted,  by  the  efforts  of  missionaries,  to  the  worship  of 
the  living  God.  How  much  better  it  is  to  worship  him  who  made  the  sun 
than  it  is  to  bow  down  to  the  sun  itself ! 


132 


India. 


CHILDREN    IN    INDIA. 

We  can  see  fun  and  mischief  and  good-nature  in  these  bright  eyes,  as 
plainly  as  in  those  of  our  own  dear  children  of  America.  One  of  the  first 
scholars  in  a  Scotch  Mission  School,  which  was  begun  in  Bombay  in  1835, 
was  a  Parsee  boy  of  twelve.  His  name  was  Dhanjibhai  Nauroji.  He  was 
bright  and  diligent,  and  gained  many  prizes.  He  began  to  learn,  too,  that 
he  was  a  sinner,  and  how  he  might  be  saved  by  Jesus  Christ.  Dhanjibhai 
became  a  true  Christian.  This  made  a  terrible  disturbance  among  his  own 
people.  His  mother  threatened  to  dash  her  brains  out  at  his  feet.  But 
by  the  grace  of  God  he  stood  firm,  and  was  baptized  on  May  i,  1839. 


P/>RSEE    CHILDREN. 

After  his  education  was  finished,  in  1846,  he  was  ordained  to  preach  the 
gospel  among  his  heathen  kindred.  And  ever  after,  for  over  thirty  years,  he 
continued  a  faithful  laborer  for  Christ  in  India.  In  January,  1879,  he  wrote 
to  Scotland  that  the  Parsees,  who  have  kept  away  from  the  Mission  School 
ever  since  his  baptism,  are  now  returning  to  it  in  large  numbers.  He  adds : 
"  A  more  interesting  set  of  youths  there  is  not." 


INDIA  AND  ITS  WILD  TRIBES, 


ON  a  map  of  the  world  India  covers  as  much  space  as  does  all  Europe,  if  we 
except  Russia  and  Turkey.  Cape  Comorin  is  five  hundred  miles  farther  from 
the  northernmost  point  of  India  than  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  is  from  Lake 
Superior.  Our  last  census  surprises  us  by  making  the  population  of  the  United 
States  over  fifty  millions,  but  India  has  nearly  five  times  as  many  people  as  we 
can  boast.  This  vast  region  is  now  under  British  rule,  a  settlement  having 
been  made  there  by  English  traders  in  1625.  Little  by  little  the  English, 
though  living  so  far  away,  gained  power  in  various  provinces,  until  in  1858  the 
sovereignty  of  the  British  Crown  over  India  was  acknowledged.  Recently  the 
Queen  of  England  has  added  to  her  titles  that  of  Empress  of  India. 

It  was  not  until  long  after  the  English  power  had  begun  to  be  felt  in  the 
East  that  any  efforts  were  made  to 
Christianize  the  natives.  The  Hin- 
dus were  devotedly  attached  to  their 
own  religions,  and  repelled  all  at- 
tempts to  teach  them  the  gospel. 
The  British  authorities,  too,  opposed 
all  missionary  schemes,  as  it  was 
thought  that  any  endeavor  to  meddle 
with  religious  ideas  would  irritate  the 
natives  against  their  rulers.  More- 
over, the  Hindus  were  fearfully  cor- 
rupt, and  even  Henry  Martyn  was  so 
impressed  with  the  difficulty  of  bring- 
ing one  of  this  race  to  a  better  life 
that  after  many  labors  among  them 
he  said  that  if  ever  he  saw  a  Hindu 
converted  to  Christ  it  would  be  like 
seeing  a  dead  man  rise  from  his 
grave.  Had  Henry  Martyn  lived 
seventy  years  later,  he  could  have 

,       f  f.          ,  i       j      ,  HOOK-SWINGING    IN    INDIA. 

seen  not  far  from  five  hundred  thou- 
sand such  converts.  The  changes  that  have  been  wrought  in  India  since  the 
first  missionaries  went  there,  are  wonderful.  Hook-swinging  is  unknown  now. 
The  idea  that  the  gods  are  pleased  by  such  cruel  sufferings  has  not  been  alto- 
gether outrooted  from  the  Hindu  mind,  but  such  exhibitions  are  no  longer  tol- 
erated. Just  fifty  years  ago  a  society  was  formed  in  Calcutta,  composed  of  the 
most  influential  gentlemen  of  the  region,  and  what  do  you  suppose  was  its 


134 


India  and  its  Wild  Tribes. 


object  ?  Nothing  else  than  to  defend  the  Hindu  practice  of  burning  alive 
widows  on  the  funeral  piles  of  their  deceased  husbands  !  And  this  society 
established  a  paper  to  advocate  the  continuance  of  this  horrible  custom.  But 
the  society  and  its  paper  have  died.  No  widows  are  now  burned.  The  sick 
and  the  aged  and  little  children  are  no  longer  pushed  into  the  Ganges  that  they 
may  die  in  its  sacred  waters.  Aside  from  the  large  number  of  Hindus  who 

have  embraced  Christi- 
anity, there  are  multitudes 
who  have  felt  in  some  de- 
gree its  power. 

Among  the  most  inter- 
esting people  living  in  In- 
dia, and  perhaps  one  of 
the  most  hopeful  classes 
to  labor  for,  are  the  hill 
and  jungle  tribes,  such  as 
the  Santhals,  the  Gonds, 
and  the  Khonds.  These 
are  the  aborigines  of  In- 
dia, corresponding  to  our 
Indian  tribes  in  the  West, 
and  to  the  Ainos  of  Japan. 
They  are  rude  people,  hav- 
ing different  languages, 
but  none  of  them  written. 
These  tribes  probably  were 
compelled  to  take  refuge 
in  the  hills  during  some  of 
the  early  invasions  of  In- 
dia, and  there  they  re- 
main, finding  it  safer  to 
contend  with  the  number- 
less wild  beasts  infesting 
these  regions  than  with 
their  fellow-men  on  the 
plains.  The  picture  on 
the  opposite  page  shows 
how  some  villages  of  the 
hill  tribes  are  built. 
Dwellings  on  the  ground 
are  not  safe  from  the  at- 
tacks of  elephants  and 
tigers,  and  hence  many 
houses  are  constructed  in 
the  trees,  out  of  the  way 
of  wild  beasts.  These 
houses  are  said  to  be  quite  comfortable,  though  it  is  doubtful  if  any  of  us 
would  like  to  live  in  one  of  them. 


A    PARSEE   OF    BOMBAY. 


India  and  its  Wild  Tribes. 


135 


136  India  and  its  Wild  Tribes. 

There  are  about  two  hundred  of  these  wild  tribes,  all  quite  distinct  from  the 
ordinary  Hindus.  They  are  very  ignorant  and  superstitious,  and  have  been  sup- 
posed to  be  very  savage,  but  missionary  efforts  among  them  have  been  quite  suc- 
cessful, and  when  under  the  influence  of  the  gospel  they  seem  a  simple-hearted 
and  kindly  people.  They  have  no  caste,  like  the  Hindus. 

An  English  Church  missionary  who  had  labored  among  one  of  these  tribes, 
Writes  of  a  time  when  the  cholera  broke  out  among  the  people.  Many  of  them 
died  in  cheerful  hope  in  Christ.  One  young  man,  dying  just  as  the  sun 


A    HINDU    WOMAN 

rose,  said  as  his  last  words,  "  I  shall  soon  be  where  there  is  no  night."  A 
heathen  blacksmith,  seized  by  the  dreaded  disease,  first  tried  to  bribe  the  idol 
goddess,  and  the  next  moment  cursed  her  for  sending  the  cholera.  His  Chris- 
tian neighbor,  suffering  in  the  same  way,  prayed,  "  O  Christ,  wash  me  ;  forgive 
my  hard  heart  and  receive  my  soul  :  I  am  thine."  Is  it  not  a  blessed  privilege 
to  be  permitted  to  give  the  gospel  to  those  who  would  otherwise  die  in  dark- 
ness ? 


FIRST  BRAHMAN  CONVERTS  AT  AHMEDNAGAR,  INDIA. 

BY   REV.    RAMKRJ5HXAFUXT   V.    MODAK. 


[Mr. 


HARI  RAMCHAXDRA  KHBTI  and  his  brother,  Xarayan  Ramchandra  Khisti,  after 
having  long  tried  to  observe  the  Christian  religion  secretly,  at  last  firmly  resolved, 
in  1839,  to  receive  public  baptism.  They  were  the  first  Brahmans  to  become 
Christians  in  the  Ahmednagar  Mission.  Previous  to  their  conversion  they  had 
been  employed  as  teachers  in  the  mission  schools.  The  younger  brother,  Hori- 
punt,  first  left  his  home  and  came  to  the  mission  compound  to  stay,  in  order 


MISSION    BUNGALOW   AT  AHMEDNAGAR 

that  he  might  be  baptized.  Then  his  relatives  gathered  a  great  crowd  of  thou- 
sands of  Brahmans,  Kunabis,  Weavers,  and  other  high-caste  men,  in  the  mission 
compound,  that  they  might  carry  him  off  by  force,  before  he  should  defile  him- 
self by  receiving  baptism.  Haripunt  was  then,  for  safety,  brought  into  the  mis- 
sionary's bungalow,  and  the  doors  were  fastened.  A  message  was  also  sent  to 
the  police  to  come  and  disperse  the  mob.  but  as  the  crowd  had  now  increased  to 
two  or  three  thousand  people,  they  would  not  listen  to  the  police. 


138  Fitst  Brahman  Converts  at  Ahmednagar. 

The  European  magistrate,  having  examined  the  case,  declared,  "  that  Haripunt, 
being  of  age,  was  at  liberty  to  change  his  religion.  It  was  not  true,  as  his  friends 
tried  to  prove,  that  he,  being  immature,  had  been  deceived,  or  that  any  one  was 
detaining  him  by  force.  He  was  of  full  age  and  mature  understanding,  and  was 
becoming  a  Christian  of  his  own  free  will.  Therefore  the  Government  was  un- 
able to  deliver  him  into  the  possession  of  his  friends."  After  giving  this  decision, 
he  commanded  the  people  to  go  to  their  homes.  But  the  people  would  not  con- 
sent, and  began  to  show  a  violent  spirit  which  the  police  could  not  restrain.  At 
last  the  magistrate  sent  for  a  company  of  soldiers,  and  when  they  were  seen 
entering  the  compound  gate,  the  rioters  were  alarmed  and  ran  away.  There  was 
still  some  time  before  Haripunt's  baptism,  and  during  this  time  his  mother  pre- 
pared his  food  and  sent  it  to  him  to  the  bungalow,  (that  he  might  not  be  defiled 
by  eating  Christian  food,)  and  his  relatives  and  friends  often  came  to  him, 
and  by  argument  and  persuasion  they  made  great  efforts  to  turn  him  back  to  the 
Hindu  religion. 

In  the  meantime  Haripunt's  elder  brother  Narayan,  who  was  himself  about  to 
become  a  Christian,  went  off  secretly  to  Satara,  to  bring  Haripunt's  wife  from  her 
mother's  house,  before  her  mother  should  hear  anything  of  the  disturbance  at 
Ahmednagar.  Taking  a  cross-road  he  brought  her  to  Ahmednagar,  and  at  once 
secretly  delivered  her  to  her  husband  in  the  mission  bungalow.  When  Haripunt's 
friends  heard  of  this  they  made  a  second  petition  to  the  magistrate,  in  the  name  of 
Haripunt's  mother,  saying,  "  These  padres  have  now  got  Haripunt's  wife  also,  and 
are  confining  her  in  the  bungalow,  and  are  going  to  use  force  to  make  her  break 
her  caste.  Bring  her  therefore  from  the  house  to  your  office  and  investigate  the 
matter."  On  the  other  hand,  Haripunt  had  informed  the  magistrate  that  if  she 
was  carried  to  the  court-room  there  was  danger  that  a  mob  would  come  upon 
them  in  the  street  and  carry  her  away,  and  he  therefore  requested  that  the 
investigation  might  be  in  the  mission  compound.  The  magistrate,  remembering 
the  previous  disturbance,  consented,  and  came  to  the  mission  compound,  bring- 
ing the  complainants  with  him. 

Up  to  this  time  Haripunt's  wife,  Radhabai,  who  was  of  full  age,  had  been  in- 
structed to  say  to  the  magistrate  that  she  desired  to  remain  with  her  husband  and 
did  not  wish  to  go  to  her  mother-in-law.  After  her  arrival  a  separate  place  had 
been  given  her  to  live  in  that  she  might  observe  her  own  customs  in  accordance 
with  her  own  wishes.  She  cooked  for  herself  and  husband,  but  kept  her  hus- 
band's food  apart  from  her  own.  She  thus  lived  with  her  husband  in  the  observ- 
ance of  the  rites  of  her  own  religious  faith,  and  she  was  convinced  that  no  one 
would  forcibly  make  her  break  her  caste,  unless  she,  of  her  own  accord,  should 
become  a  Christian.  Still,  even  under  these  circumstances,  Radhabai  would  not 
consent  to  say  to  the  magistrate  that  she  wished  to  live  with  her  husband,  but 
she  declared  that  she  wished  to  go  to  her  mother-in-law.  The  Christians  were 
all  praying  most  earnestly  to  God  that  He  would  incline  her  mind  to  give  a 
proper  answer  to  the  magistrate,  but  to  the  last  she  declared  that  she  would  go  to 
her  mother-in-law  and  her  caste-people. 

The  magistrate  asked  her  in  the  presence  of  the  complainants,  whether  she 
would  leave  her  husband  and  go  to  her  Hindu  mother-in-law?  Then  Radhabai 


First  Bralunan  Converts  at  Ahmcdnagar. 


139 


replied,  "I  do  not  wish  to  leave  my  husband  and  go  away."  Hearing  this  the 
magistrate  said,  "  You  have  liberty  to  remain  with  your  husband  according  to 
your  wish.  Abide  in  peace."  He  then  ordered  the  complainants  to  go  to  their 
homes,  and  not  to  come  to  the  mission  compound  to  make  any  more  trouble. 
The  mother-in-law  of  Radhabai  immediately  fell  into  a  passion  and  said  to  her, 


CHRISTIAN   NATIVES    IN   INDIA. 


"Why  did  you  give  such  an  unreasonable  answer?''  Radhabai  replied,  "I 
intended  to  say  that  I  wished  to  go  to  my  mother-in-law  and  live,  but  how  the 
contrary  answer  came  out  of  my  mouth  I  do  not  know.  I  am  sorry  for  it.  What 
shall  I  do  ?  "  Then  the  mother-in-law  and  friends  went  running  to  the  magistrate 


140 


First  BraJiman   Converts  at  AJimednagar, 


and  said,  "  Saheb,  Radhabai  is  even  now  sorry  for  the  answer  she  gave  you  ;  come 
back  again  and  ask  her  once  more."  The  magistrate  replied,  "The  matter  is 
decided.  There  is  no  reason  for  making  any  change  in  the  decision."  Then, 
disappointed  and  hopeless,  the  whole  company  of  complainants  went  to  their 
homes.  In  a  few  days  Radhabai  began  to  feel  that  it  was  far  better  that  she 
had  remained 
with  her  husband. 
She  began  to 
learn  to  read, 
and  as  the  result 
of  instruction  she 
was  very  soon 
convinced  that 
the  Christian  re- 
ligion was  divine, 
and  that  there 
was  no  salvation 
without  faith  in 
Christ.  She  .. 
therefore  herself  ^ 
received  baptism  r 
and  united  with  • 
the  church  in  : 
1841. 

Shortly    a  f t  e  r 
Radhabai  had 
decided    to   live 
with  her  husband, 
Haripunt's  elder     , 
brother  Narayon,  ]8 
according  to  his    " 
previous     plan, 
•was   openly  bap- 
tized and  received 
into  the   church. 
At   that  time   no 

one  made  any  disturbance  whatever.  But  he  lost  his  own  wife  and  children. 
There  was  no  one  of  his  relatives  of  like  mind  to  bring  them  to  him.  After- 
wards Haripunt  became  a  preacher,  and  for  eight  years  was  the  honored  and 
useful  pastor  of  the  First  Church  in  Ahmednagar,  but  has  now  gone  to  dwell 
with  his  Lord  and  Saviour.  His  wife  Radhabai  is  still  living,  and  for  many  years 
has  been  doing  Bible  woman's  work  in  Bombay. 


RAJAH    OF   INDIA. 


IDOLATRY  IN  INDIA. 


INDIA  is  said  by  good  authorities  to  have  a  population  of  at  least  two 
hundred  and  fifty  millions,  the  larger  portion  of  whom  accept  Brahminism 
as  their  religion.  According  to  this  religious  system  there  are  several 


A  CHILD  BEFORE  GANESHA. 

principal  gods,  and  under  them  no  less  than  three  hundred  and  thirty-three 
million  inferior  deities.  Images  of  these  gods  are  found  everywhere,  and 
as  if  there  were  not  enough  of  these  to  worship,  the  Hindus  bow  down  be- 
fore monkeys,  and  serpents,  and  stones.  In  the  picture  above  there  is  rep- 


142 


Idolatry  in  India. 


resented  a  little  child  taking  his  first  lesson  in  idolatry.  His  mother  has 
brought  him  to  an  image  of  Ganesha,  and  holds  up  his  hands  towards  the 
hideous  idol  while  the  lad  draws  back  in  terror.  Is  it  strange  that  he 
is  frightened  ?  Some  of  the  converts  from  heathenism  have  told  of  the 

agony  of  fear  they  had 
in  their  childhood  when 
first  brought  into  the 
presence  of  a  monster 
idol.  They  were  never 
told  of  a  God  who  was 
gentle  and  loving.  He 
was  only  hateful  and 
ugly,  like  his  image, 
and  the  only  reason 
for  worshipping  was  to 
escape  his  wrath.  In 
the  picture  here  given 
of  Ganesha,  he  is  rep- 
resented with  a  better 
form  than  commonly. 
He  is  said  to  be  the 
son  of  Siva,  one  of  the 
principal  gods,  and  to 
be  master  of  all  evil 
and  mischievous  imps. 
As  these  imps  are  sup- 
posed to  do  all  the 
harm  they  can,  who- 
ever wishes  success  in 
his  plans  must  invoke 
the  aid  of  Ganesha.  If 
one  is  to  take  a  jour- 
ney, or  make  a  trade, 
he  must  pray  to  Gan- 
esha or  he  will  be  hin- 
dered. One  of  our 
missionaries  says  that 
carpenters,  when  they  have  finished  a  day's  work,  will  take  a  handful  of 
mud  and  shape  it  rudely  into  an  image  of  this  god,  setting  it  on  guard  over 
night  lest  some  imp  destroy  the  work.  Ganesha  is  always  represented  as 
a  bloated  dwarf,  with  four  arms  and  an  elephant's  head  and  trunk.  The 
story  about  him,  which  is  believed  by  the  Hindus,  is  that  when  a  child  he 
angered  one  of  the  principal  gods  who  cut  off  his  head,  but  the  murderer 
being  sorry  for  what  he  had  done,  sought  to  replace  the  lost  head  by  giv- 
ing Ganesha  the  first  one  he  met  with.  This  happened  to  be  an  elephant's, 
and  he  placed  it  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  boy.  Better  than  the  wor 
ship  of  such  hateful  beings  is  the  homage  a  Hindu  sometimes  pays  to  nat- 
ural objects.  These  objects,  at  least,  are  sinless.  The  picture  here  given 


HINDU   WORSHIPING  THE    SUN    AND    HIS  TOOLS. 


Idolatry  in  India. 


143 


of  a  Hindu  worshipping  the  sun  and  his  own  working  tools  was  drawn  from 
a  real  incident.  A  missionary,  at  Madras,  once  met  a  road-mender  kneel- 
ing at  sunrise  before  his  pick  and  crowbar.  When  told  that  this  worship 
was  folly  the  man  replied,  "  Without  these  tools  I  could  not  do  my  work, 


and  without  the  sun  I  could  not  see  to  do  it.  Since,  therefore,  I  get  my 
bread  by  them,  it  is  only  right  that  I  should  worship  them."  But  many  of 
the  Hindus  are  learning  of  the  true  God,  and  a  better  service  than  that  of 
idols.  The  verses  on  the  next  page  tell  a  pleasant  story  of  a  lad  who  does 
not  now  bow  in  terror  before  Ganesha,  but  looks  in  love  to  Jesus  Christ. 


144  The  Four  Rupees. 


THE   FOUR  RUPEES. 

GIFT  has  come  to  us  over  seas, 

A  gift  of  beautiful  bright  rupees ; 

And  who  do  you  think  has  sent  us  these  ? 

Was  it  one  of  the  rajahs,  rich  and  grand, 
Who  live  in  that  wonderful,  far-off  land  — 
The  land  of  simoon,  and  sun,  and  sand  ? 

Or  was  it  some  Brahmin,  who  has  thrown 

Forever  away  his  gods  of  stone, 

And  worships  the  Christian's  God  alone  ? 

Or  was  it  the  Viceroy,  who  controls 

The  destiny  of  those  million  souls 

From  Khyber  to  where  the  Hooghly  rolls  ? 

Nay,  none  of  them  all  ;  nay,  none  of  these 
Has  sent  us  this  royalty  of  rupees, 
From  that  strange  sun-land  over  seas. 

Who  was  it  then  ?     Listen,  and  I  will  tell : 
For  surely  'tis  something  to  ponder  well, 
Till  the  truth  of  it  makes  our  bosoms  swell. 

'Twas  an  eight-year  old,  brown-faced  Hindu  lad 
Made  gift  of  the  four  rupees  he  had, 
To  help  us  at  home  :  for  he  was  sad, 

Because  he  had  heard  his  teacher's  fear, 
That  the  Work  of  the  Children,  over  here, 
Might  wane  with  the  waning  of  the  year. 

And  therefore  he  brought  his  four  rupees, 
And  eagerly  whispered,  "  Sahib,  please 
Send  this  for  the  work  beyond  the  seas  !  " 

Sweet,  innocent  faith,  that  did  not  doubt 

That  his  four  rupees  would  help  us  out 

Of  the  troubles  that  compass  our  Work  about ! 

Ah,  think  of  it,  Christian  children  !    Can 
You  let  this  heathen  of  Hindustan 
Do  more  than  you  for  his  fellow  man  ? 

Christ  save  this  orphan,  who  of  his  store 
Gave  all  to  aid  us ;  and  may  his  four 
Rupees  increase  to  a  thousand  more  ! 

MARGARET  J.  PRESTON,  in  Children's  Work  for  Children. 


HINDU  WASHINGS  FOR  SIN. 


THE  heathen  know  well  that  sin  needs  to  be  washed  away,  but  as  to  how  this 
can  be  done  they  have  very  strange  ideas.  Some  will  walk  through  fire,  as  if 
that  would  burn  away  all  impurities  ;  some  will  cover  their  bodies  with  filth,  as 
if  that  would  cleanse  the  soul ;  others  still  fancy  that  the  water  of  certain 
streams  has  power  to  remove 
all  taint  of  sin.  The  Hindus 
believe  that  there  is  wonderful 
cleansing  power  in  the  water  of 
the  Ganges,  so  that  whoever 
can  bathe  in  that  river  is  freed 
from  guilt.  From  all  parts  of 
India  pilgrims  go  to  the  Ganges, 
and  they  believe  that  whoever 
dies  in  that  stream  is  sure  of 
future  bliss.  But  India  is  a 
vast  country,  and  comparative- 
ly few  of  the  poor  people  who 
live  in  the  southern  portion  can 
travel  the  thousand  miles  or 
more  to  reach  the  Ganges. 
Hence  they  have  their  own 
sacred  streams  and  fountains 
which,  though  not  regarded  as 
so  sacred  as  the  Ganges,  are 
yet  supposed  to  have  power  to 
cleanse  from  sin. 

Several  years  ago,  in  a  village  near  Madura,  a  Brahman  named  Sokappen,  read 
in  one  of  the  sacred  Hindu  books  that  near  the  temple  of  his  village  there  was 
a  spring  far  under  ground,  and  that  if  one  would  dig  deep  enough  water  would 
flow  through  that  spring  from  the  Ganges,  though  the  river  itself  was  more 
than  eleven  hundred  miles  away.  The  Brahman  thought  that  would  be  a  glori- 
ous work  to  do,  so  to  open  in  that  region  a  fountain  that  could  purify  from  sin 
all  who  would  come  to  it.  Was  he  not  right  ?  Certainly,  if  his  belief  as  to  the 
virtue  of  that  water  was  correct,  no  better  deed  could  be  done  than  to  give  to 
the  people  the  boon  of  a  fountain  able  to  cleanse  from  sin.  And  so  this  Brah- 
rr  an  worked  for  years,  spending  all  his  own  money  and  begging  from  others, 
until  he  had  finished  a  great  tank  and  walled  it  with  hewn  stone,  with  stone 
steps  leading  down  to  the  sacred  water.  It  was  only  after  he  had  finished  the 


A  FAKIR  OF  INDIA. 


Hindu  Washings  for  Sin. 


Hindu  Washings  for  Sin.  147 

tank  at  such  great  cost  that  Sokappen  learned  that  his  fountain  did  not  cleanse 
from  sin,  but  that  there  was  another  that  could.  He  heard  of  Christ  and  of 
the  forgiveness  he  offered,  and  since  then  he  has  often  preached  that  only  the 
blood  of  Christ  can  take  away  sin.  Why  should  not  every  one  who  knows  of 
the  fountain  that  can  surely  cleanse  the  sinner  be  as  eager  to  tell  of  it  as  So- 
kappen was  to  dig  for  that  spring  of  so-called  sacred  water  ? 

Though  many  people  of  India  have  now  heard  the  gospel,  there  are  yet 
millions  who  have  faith  in  their  sacred  bathing  places.  Those  who  live  too 
far  from  the  Ganges  find  some  other  river,  if  thev  can.  On  the  next  page 
is  a  picture  of  Mowli,  where  two  rivers,  the  Yenna  and  the  Krishna,  meet,  and 
where  multitudes  bathe.  The  dead  also  are  taken  there,  some  to  be  buried,  as 
was  the  **  saint "  whom  Mr.  Bruce  describes,  and  others  to  be  burned,  that  their 
ashes  may  be  mingled  with  the  sacred  waters.  Opposite  is  a  picture  of  a 
famous  artificial  tank  in  the  district  of  Tinnevelly.  South  India.  It  is  some- 
times called  the  "  Sea  of  Sacred  Milk."'  Granite  steps  lead  down  to  the  waters" 
edge,  and  in  the  early  morning  hundreds  of  men  and  women  gather  to  bathe 
and  to  worship  the  sun.  The  water  is  stagnant  and  dirty,  though  it  is  es- 
teemed as  specially  holy.  Here  the  people  wash  not  only  themselves  but  also 
their  clothes.  Even  the  Brahmans,  who  regard  the  touch  of  a  person  of  low 
caste  as  pollution,  bathe  in  the  same  tank,  though  they  have  a  special  section 
set  apart  for  their  use,  which  you  may  see  on  the  right  of  the  picture.  The 
cost  of  building  these  bathing  places  is  immense,  yet  the  people  build  them  in 
many  parts  of  India  because  they  think  that,  at  any  cost,  provision  should  be 
made  for  the  removal  of  sin.  They  know  of  no  better  wav  than  bv  bathing  in 
these  filthy  places.  Ought  they  not  to  be  told  of  the  fountain  Christ  has 
opened  for  sin  and  all  uncleanness? 

A  HINDU  "SAINT." 

Mr.  Bruce,  our  missionary  at  Satara,  a  city  only  three  miles  from  MowlL. 
writes  of  an  event  which  occurred  in  January,  iS8o,and  which  has  caused  great 
excitement.  This  is  his  story :  — 

"Three  or  four  years  ago  when  we  went  into  Satara,  we  used  to  see,  sitting 
in  the  verandah  of  his  house,  an  old  man  covered  with  rags,  and  surrounded 
with  rags.  Sometimes  we  used  to  see  him  in  the  street,  with  rags  innumerable 
upon  his  person.  In  America  we  should  have  called  him  a  crazy  man ;  but 
ideas  differ  in  different  lands.  Here  he  was  a  'saint?  in  whom  one  of  the 
gods  dwelt.  When  his  saintship  came  to  be  known  by  the  people,  he  was 
honored  and  worshiped  even-where.  Men  who  ought  to  have  known  better 
would,  on  seeing  him  approach,  leave  their  work,  and  run  and  prostrate  them- 
selves at  his  feet.  His  rags  were  removed,  and  he  was  clothed  with  a  robe  of 
purple.  No  expense  was  spared  to  supply  all  his  wants,  and  he  was  attended 
by  two  servants,  furnished  by  the  Prince  of  Ound.  Well !  This  rag-man, 
crazy-man,  saint,  died.  He  had  said  previously,  '  Wherever  I  die,  there  let  my 
tomb  be  built.'  He  died  in  the  city,  and  there  the  people  wished  to  bury  him 
and  erect  a  tomb  which  should  ever  after  be  an  object  of  worship.  But  the 
municipal  officers  interfered  and  ordered  the  body  to  be  removed  from  the  city. 


148 


Hindu  Was hings  for  Sin. 


The  Prince  of  Ound  was  summoned  from  his  capital  twenty-five  miles  away, 
and  he  came  as  quickly  as  his  horses  could  bring  him.  He  owns  a  large  place 
here,  and  he  offered  a  corner  of  his  compound  for  the  burial  place.  But  the 
officers  of  the  law  were  inflexible.  The  Prince  telegraphed  to  the  Governor  in 


Bombay,  but  permission  was  refused.  So  the  body  of  the  rag-man-saint  was 
carried  in  great  honor  to  Mowli  to  be  buried.  And  now  a  new  temple  will, 
doubtless,  be  added  to  the  large  number  already  existing  at  Mowli,  and  one 
more  god  will  be  added  to  the  330,000,000  in  India." 


HARRIET  NEWELL. 


ALL  young  American  Christians  in  the  early  part  of  this  century  knew  the  rarae 
of  Harriet  XewelL  A  feeling  of  tender  admiration  and  awe  gathered  about  the 
memory  of  the  girl  who  went  out  of  a  happy  New  England  home  into  the  almost 


unknown  darkness  of  heathendom  and  laid  down  her  life  for  the  Lord  Jesus 
when  only  nineteen  years  old.  She  was  born  at  Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  in  1 793, 
sailed  for  India  among  our  first  missionaries  in  1812,  and  died  at  the  Isle  of 
France  the  same  year.  A  story  soon  told  and  yet  a  story  without  an  end  !  That 
clear  young  voice  rings  on  in  the  ears  of  this  generation  and  its  echoes  will  not 


•Our  echoes  roll  from  soul  to  soul. 
And  grow  forever  and  forever." 


150  Harriet  Newell. 

The  Christians  of  Harriet  Newell's  day  were  roused  by  her  example  to  give,  to 
pray,  and  some  of  them  to  live  and  die,  for  the  missionary  work.  Mothers 
named  their  little  daughters  for  her,  in  the  hope  that  they  would  walk  in  her 
steps,  and,  this  very  year,  at  least  one  "  Harriet  Newell  "  tells  of  the  love  of 
Christ  on  missionary  ground. 

It  was  in  the  year  1806  that  Harriet  Atwood  (for  this  was  her  maiden 
name)  began  to  think  of  living  for  Christ's  service.  She  was  then  a  gay  girl  of 
thirteen  and  a  pupil  at  Bradford  Academy,  Massachusetts.  After  a  three  months' 
struggle  with  the  love  of  the  world  and  of  self  she  gave  her  soul  to  the  Saviour 
of  sinners.  She  said  :  "  My  gay  associates  were  renounced  and  the  friends  of 
Jesus  became  my  dear  friends.  I  have  enjoyed  greater  happiness  than  tongue 
can  describe.  I  have  indeed  been  joyful  in  the  house  of  prayer.  Oh,  the  real 
bliss  I  have  enjoyed  !  Such  love  to  God,  such  a  desire  to  glorify  him,  I  never 
possessed  before." 

She  did  not  immediately  enter  the  church  and  begin  Christian  work.  As 
a  consequence,  she  lost  her  joy  and  drifted  back  into  worldliness.  It  was  not  till 
1809  that  she  was  again  aroused.  Confessing  that  she  had  had  no  real  happiness 
in  the  pursuit  of  worldly  pleasure,  she  gave  herself  at  the  age  of  sixteen  finally 
and  publicly  to  the  Lord,  being  received  to  the  church  in  Haverhill.  Two  years 
after  she  was  asked  to  go  to  India  as  the  wife  of  Rev.  Samuel  Newell.  It  was 
a  far  more  difficult  question  than  it  would  be  now.  No  American  had  ever  gone 
on  a  mission  to  the  heathen.  The  idea  was  considered  absurd  by  most.  Little 
was  then  known  about  the  Hindus,  except  their  degrading  and  cruel  superstitions. 
The  climate  was  unfavorable.  No  one  could  say  that  life  would  be  safe.  The 
voyage  was  long  and  letters  must  be  infrequent.  Harriet  was  a  loving  daughter, 
and  she  wrote  at  this  time  :  "  Never  before  did  my  dear  mamma  and  brothers 
and  sisters  appear  so  dear  to  me.  But  God  commands  me.  How  can  I  ever 
pray  for  the  promotion  of  the  gospel  among  the  heathen  if  I  am  unwilling  to 
offer  my  little  aid  when  such  an  opportunity  is  given  ?  Willingly  will  I  let  go  my 
eager  grasp  of  the  things  of  time  and  sense  and  flee  to  Jesus.  Have  I  anything 
but  an  unfaithful  and  depraved  heart  to  discourage  me  in  this  great  undertaking  ? 
Here  the  Almighty  God,  the  Maker  of  all  worlds,  the  infinite  Disposer  of  all 
events,  has  pledged  his  word  for  the  safety  of  his  believing  children.  The  cause 
is  good  ;  the  foundation  is  sure.  Oh,  could  I  be  the  instrument  of  bringing  one 
degraded  female  to  Jesus,  how  should  I  be  repaid  for  every  tear  and  every 
pain  !  " 

Look  at  the  pure  face  of  this  young  Christian  and  then  at  the  kind  of  people 
to  whom  she  went.  Should  not  mere  philanthropy,  to  say  nothing  of  religion, 
move  a  true  heart  to  go  to  their  rescue?  Harriet  Atwood  was  married  to  Mr. 
Newell,  and  they  set  sail  from  Salem,  February  19,  1813,  amid  the  prayers  and 
blessings  of  multitudes.  At  that  time  she  wrote  to  her  mother  :  "  I  am  tranquil  and 
haopy.  The  undertaking  appears  more  noble  than  ever.  Do  not  indulge  one 
anxious  thought  relative  to  me.  If  you  love  your  Harriet,  mamma,  commend 
her  to  God  and  the  word  of  his  grace,  and  then  leave  her."  In  the  following 
June  she  wrote  :  "  Rejoice  with  us,  my  dear,  dear  mother,  in  the  goodness  of  our 
covenant  God.  After  seeing  nothing  but  sky  and  water  for  114  days,  we  this 


Harriet  Newell.  151 

morning  heard  the  joyful  exclamation  of  '  Land  !  land  ! '  "  The  day  before  reach- 
ing Calcutta,  she  added  :  "  I  wish  my  own  dear  mother  could  be  a  partaker  of 
our  pleasures.  .  .  .  This  is  the  most  delightful  trial  I  ever  had."  "  Whenever 
you  think  of  me,  think  I  am  happy  and  contented ;  that  I  do  not  regret  coming 


here.  I  think  I  see  you  surrounded  by  your  dear  family,  taking  comfort  in  their 
society,  and  blessing  God  for  one  child  to  consecrate  to  the  work  of  a  mission." 
The  missionaries  received  a  joyful  welcome  from  Dr.  Carey  and  the  other 
English  Baptists  already  at  work  in  Calcutta.  But  their  entrance  was  violently 
opposed  by  the  British  East  India  Company,  which  governed  the  country.  The 
captain  with  whom  they  had  come  from  America  was  even  refused  a  clear- 


152 


Harriet  Newell. 


ance  from  the  port  of  Calcutta  unless  the  missionaries  would  engage  to  leave 
India  with  him.  They  remained  six  weeks,  receiving  every  kindness  in  the 
hospitable  home  of  Dr.  Carey,  enjoying  the  climate  and  the  beautiful  scenery,  and 
continuing  in  perfect  health.  Mrs.  Newell  wrote  :  "  Much  as  I  long  for  the 
society  of  my  dear  absent  mother  and  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  I  am  not  willing 
to  return  to  them.  Yes,  I  am  positively  unwilling  to  go  to  America  unless  I  am 
confident  that  God  has  no  work  for  me  to  do  here.  My  heart  gladdens  at  the 
thought  of  commencing,  with  my  ever  dear  companion,  the  missionary  work." 
Finding  that  the  East  India  Company  would  allow  them  to  go  to  the  Isle  of 
France,  it  was  decided  that  the  Newells  should  begin  a  mission  there.  They 


TRAVELER'S    BUNGALOW,    INDIA. 

heard  that  the  English  governor  would  favor  it,  and  that  there  were  "  18,000 
inhabitants  ignorant  of  Jesus." 

August  4,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell  sailed  from  Calcutta,  and,  after  a  long,  stormy, 
and  dangerous  voyage,  reached  the  Isle  of  France,  early  in  November.  The 
fatigue  and  exposure  had,  however,  broken  Mrs.  Newell's  health  and  she  died  of 
quick  consumption  three  weeks  after  landing.  She  met  her  end  with  joy,  talking 
through  the  whole  of  her  sickness  with  great  delight  of  death  and  the  glory 
that  was  to  follow.  The  doctor  told  her  these  were  gloomy  thoughts  and 
she  had  better  get  rid  of  them.  "On  the  contrary,"  said  she,  "they  are 
cheering  and  joyful  beyond  what  I  can  express."  "Death  is  glorious,  truly 
welcome.  I  have  never  regretted  leaving  my  native  land.  .  .  .  God  has  called 
me  away  .  .  .  but  I  have  had  it  in  my  heart  to  do  what  I  can  for  the  heathen." 
Thus  was  her  victory  *von.  "  Comfort  our  dear  mother,"  wrote  her  beloved 
husband  to  a  brother  in  America.  "Tell  that  dear  woman  that  Harriet's  bones 
have  taken  possession  of  the  promised  land,  and  rest  in  glorious  hope  of  the  final 
and  universal  triumph  of  Jesus  over  the  gods  of  this  world." 


THE  CHOLERA  MOTHER. 


BY    REV.  R.  A.  HOME,  AHMEDXAGAR,  INDIA. 


THE  common  people  in  Western  India  think  that  cholera  is  a  punishment 
sent  on  men  by  an  evil  goddess.  As  they  suppose  that  it  would  offend  her  to 
call  her  a  bad  name,  she  is  called  "  Murree  Ai,"  that  is,  Cholera  Mother.  They 
also  think  that  giving  and  taking  medicine  for  the  disease  only  excites  the  mother 
still  more,  and  that  the  only  proper  way  to  get  rid  of  the  pestilence  is  to  honor 
the  mother,  and  so  to  induce  her  to  go  elsewhere.  In  all  the  villages  there  are 
one  or  two  small  temples  ded- 
icated to  the  Cholera  Mother, 
in  which  there  are  a  few  shape- 
less stones  painted  red.  These 
temples  are  built  near  the  ex- 
treme limits  of  the  town,  so 
that  the  goddess  may  stay  far 
from  the  houses  of  the  peo- 
ple. At  the  time  of  an  epi- 
demic these  are  repaired. 

In  most  towns  there  are  a 
few  men  and  women  of  the 
lowest  castes  who  are  devotees 
of  this  goddess,  and  when 
cholera  is  prevalent  they  get 
much  attention  and  much 
profit.  Even  intelligent  men 
come  and  ask  these  ignorant 
devotees,  '*  What  is  the  moth- 
er's pleasure  ?  How  long  does 
she  intend  to  favor  the  town 

with  her  presence,  and  what  can  we  do  for  her?  "  Then  the  devotee  pretends  to 
go  into  a  kind  of  trance,  and,  after  a  shaking  fit,  replies  that  the  mother  says  that 
she  intends  to  remain  for  so  many  days  and  would  like  such  and  such  attentions. 
These  attentions  the  people  gladly  show.  Green  is  thought  to  be  the  favorite 
color  of  the  Cholera  Mother.  So  a  new  green  cloth  is  given  to  the  devotee,  also 
offerings  of  money  and  other  articles.  Lemons  are  cut  over  the  head  of  the 
devotee  and  thrown  in  all  directions  in  order  to  scatter  the  disease  ;  also,  rice  and 
curds.  Goats,  eggs,  sweetmeats,  dates,  etc.,  are  offered  at  the  temple,  all  of 


154  The  Cholera  Mother. 

which  the  devotee  gets.  Sometimes  the  whole  town  is  required  to  go  out 
of  the  town  and  spend  a  day  near  the  mother's  temple.  The  devotee  paints 
his  or  her  teeth  black,  and  the  face  red,  in  order  to  look  as  hideous  as  possible, 
and  then  Brahmans,  shopkeepers,  who  have  closed  their  shops,  and  all  the 
Hindus,  follow  this  ignorant  low-caste  person  out  of  the  town. 

A  small  cart  is  made,  the  axle  of  which  is  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long  and  the 
pole  about  three  feet  long,  and  on  the  axle  are  fastened  two  small  wooden  figures 
of  the  mother,  about  nine  inches  high.  Bracelets  are  put  on  their  arms,  green 
cloths  and  paint  on  their  bodies ;  rice  is  sprinkled  on  the  cloths,  and  then 
this  cart  is  put  on  the  head  of  the  devotee,  and,  accompanied  with  music,  the 
town  escorts  it  to  the  temple.  This  is  meant  as  a  polite  intimation  to  the 
mother  that,  having  received  so  much  honor,  she  should  stay  in  her  temple  and 
not  return  to  the  town.  The  picture  below  is  that  of  a  cart  which  was  lately 
taken  to  the  mother,  and  which  I  afterward  secured.  The  picture  also  shows 


THE  CART  OF  THE  CHOLERA   MOTHER. 

a  small  spinning-wheel,  which  is  often  offered  to  the  mother,  who,  like  the  Fates 
of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  spins  men's  destinies. 

One  strange  idea  in  connection  with  this  Cholera  Mother  is  that  the  people 
think  she  is  glad  to  get  a  ride  in  a  cart  when  she  can.  Hence,  in  small  towns, 
during  a  cholera  epidemic,  the  town  gates  are  sometimes  shut  so  as  to  prevent 
carts  from  coming  in,  lest  the  mother  should  jump  on  to  the  cart  and  come 
in  with  it.  All  the  chief  deities  of  the  Hindus  have  their  special  vehicles,  usually 
some  kind  of  animal.  A  mouse  is  the  carrier  of  Ganpati,  and  an  eagle  of  Vishnu. 

When  the  time  specified  for  the  visit  of  the  mother  has  expired,  or  when  no 
other  way  of  getting  rid  of  her  seems  feasible,  the  people  put  such  a  cart,  as  has 
been  described  above,  upon  the  head  of  a  devotee  of  the  mother,  carry  it  with 
music  and  honor  to  the  limits  of  the  town  and  place  it  just  across  the  boundary 
line  in  the  next  town.  When  the  people  of  that  town  hear  of  this  arrival  of  the 
mother  within  their  limits,  they  come  with  music,  take  up  the  cart  and  its  images, 
carry  them  to  the  proper  temple,  give  offerings  as  narrated  above,  and  then  carry 
it  to  the  limits  and  put  it  int>  the  next  town.  So  the  cart  is  passed  from  place 


Tlu  ClioUra  Mother. 


155 


to  place.      While  thus  escorting  the  goddess,  the  people  often  call  out,  "  Victory 
to  the  mother  !  " 

In  one  town,  not  long  ago,  the  very  day  that  the  people  had  made  large 
offerings  to  the  mother  and  had  gone  out  to  spend  the  day  at  her  temple, 
following  her  devotee,  this  devotee  was  taken  with  cholera  and  died  the  same 


SCULPTURED  GUARDS   BEFORE  A   HINDU  TEMPLE. 

night.  Such  things  confound  the  people.  In  another  town,  after  killing  lots  of 
goats,  when  it  was  found  that  the  disease  was  not  arrested,  it  was  said  that  the 
mother  was  surfeited  and  that  she  forbade  the  killing  of  any  more  goats  in  the 
town.  In  order  to  show  his  disbelief  in  such  superstition,  a  prominent  Mussul- 
man asked  other  Mussulmans  and  some  Christians  to  take  shares  in  a  goat,  and 


I56 


Tlie  CJiolcra  MotJicr. 


he  had  it  killed  for  food.  But  the  same  day  a  valuable  buffalo  of  this  Mussulman 
died,  and  this  enabled  the  Hindus  to  say  that  the  mother  had  punished  him  for 
showing  disrespect  to  her. 

But,  in  the  main,  when  all  the  efforts  of  the  Hindus  have  failed,  the  people  fall 
back  on  fate  as  accounting  for  everything.     In  some  places,  seeing  how  the 


Christians  have  been  preserved  and  restored  by  the  use  of  proper  remedies,  and 
seeing  their  greater  sense  of  security,  even  Hindus  have  been  led  to  join  the 
Christians  in  prayer  to  God,  and  sometimes  they  have  been  glad  to  take  such 
medicines  as  the  Christians  gave.  Gradually  such  superstitions  are  growing 
weaker  in  the  cities  and  largest  towns,  and  some  day  they  will  all  cease. 


TURNING  FROM  MOHAMMED  TO  CHRIST. 


THE  youth  of  Christendom  may 
be  helped  to  appreciate  the  blessings 
of  their  birth-right  by  looking  at  the 
case  of  one  who  attained  the  knowl- 
edge—  to  which  they  are  born  — 
through  long  and  painful  struggles. 
He  who  is  now  the  Rev.  Imad- 

ud-din,  D.D.,  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  at  Amritsar,  Northern  India, 
was  descended  from  an  ancient  Mohammedan  famliy  of  religious  chiefs.  He 
was  brought  up  as  a  student,  and  finally  became  a  learned  and  eminent  fakir,  of 
saint.  He  seems  always  to  have  had  an  earnest  spirit,  for  he  says  in  his  autobiog- 
raphy, from  which  this  account  is  taken  :  "  My  only  object  in  learning  was  to  find 
my  Lord.  Without  troubling  myself  with  any  other  concerns,  I  read  steadily 
night  and  day  for  eight  or  ten  years ;  and,  as  I  read  under  the  conviction  that  all 
knowledge  was  a  means  of  acquainting  myself  with  the  Lord,  I  believed  that, 
whatever  time  was  spent  in  its  pursuit,  was  really  given  to  the  worship  of  God." 


158  Turning  from  Mohammed  to  Christ. 

But  when  he  had  mastered  the  Koran  and  the  Mohammedan  laws  and  legends, 
Imad-ud-din  was  still  unsatisfied  in  heart  and  uneasy  in  conscience.  ''His 
teachers,"  as  he  says,  then  "  tied  him  by  the  leg  with  a  rope  of  deceit,  in  order  to 
make  him  sit  down  and  rest  contented."  They  told  him  he  had  only  touched 
the  outside  of  truth.  If  he  wished  to  attain  the  knowledge  of  God,  he  must  go 
to  the  fakirs  and  stay  with  them  for  many  years,  for  they  possessed  the  secret  of 
religion,  which  had  been  handed  down  by  succession  from  heart  to  heart  among 
the  fakirs,  from  the  time  of  Mohammed.  This  secret  religion,  explains  Imad- 
ud-din,  had  its  origin  in  the  fears  and  anxieties  of  unsatisfied  Mohammedans. 
They  have  collected  through  the  ages  all  kinds  of  mystical  ideas,  in  the  hope  of 
gaining  comfort  to  their  minds.  "  If  they  would  only  have  read  the  Bible,"  he 
says,  "  they  would  have  found  out  the  true  knowledge  of  God  ;  but  Mohammed 
forbade  this  from  the  very  first,  so  that,  if  this  holy  book  is  ever  seen  in  the 
hands  of  any  Mohammedan,  they  call  him  accursed."  Imad  now  plunged  into 
the  depths  of  '*  this  subtle  science  of  religion."  He  spoke  little,  ate  little,  lived 
apart  from  men,  afflicted  his  body,  and  kept  awake  at  nights.  He  went  through 
special  penances,  sat  on  the  graves  of  holy  men  to  receive  some  revelation  from 
the  tombs,  gazed  on  the  faces  of  the  elders  in  the  assemblies  to  receive  grace 
from  them,  and  even  went  to  the  insane  and  dreamy  fanatics  in  the  hope  of  thus 
obtaining  union  with  God.  He  "  performed  his  prayers  "  five  times  a  day ;  also  a 
prayer  in  the  night,  in  the  very  early  morning,  and  at  dawn,  and  was  always  repeat- 
ing the  Mohammedan  confession  of  faith.  But  nothing  became  manifest  to  him 
after  all,  except  that  it  was  all  deceit.  While  in  this  state,  Imad  preached  in 
the  royal  mosque  at  Agra  for  three  years.  "All  the  time,"  he  says,  "the  follow- 
ing verse  from  the  Koran  was  piercing  my  heart  like  a  thorn  :  '  Every  mortal 
necessarily  must  once  go  to  hell ;  it  is  obligatory  on  God  to  send  all  men  once 
to  hell ;  and  afterward  he  may  pardon  whom  he  will.'  "  His  only  comfort  was  in 
more  constant  acts  of  worship.  He  retired  to  his  private  chamber,  and  prayed 
with  many  tears  for  the  pardon  of  his  sins.  He  often  spent  half  the  night  in 
silence  at  a  tomb ;  and  finally,  he  utterly  renounced  the  world  and  went  out  into 
the  jungles.  Step  by  step  he  traveled  2,500  miles  "in  search  only  of  God." 

At  one  time  he  sat  down  by  a  flowing  stream  to  perform  the  ceremonies 
enjoined  by  a  mystical  book,  which  he  took  comfort  in  clasping  to  his  heart 
whenever  his  mind  was  perplexed.  He  was  to  wash  in  the  stream,  sit  in  a 
particular  manner  on  one  knee  for  twelve  days,  and  repeat  aloud  the  prayer 
called  Jugopar  thirty  times  every  day.  He  must  eat  nothing  but  unsalted  barley 
bread,  made  with  his  own  hands,  and  must  fast  entirely  during  the  day.  He 
must  remain  barefooted,  and  must  not  touch  any  man,  nor  —  except  at  an 
appointed  time  —  speak  to  any  one.  Thus  he  might  meet  with  God.  During 
those  twelve  days,  Imad-ud-din  wrote  the  name  of  God  on  paper  125,000  times, 
cut  out  each  word  separately  with  scissors,  wrapped  it  in  a  little  ball  of  flour  and 
fed  the  fishes  of  the  river  with  them,  in  the  way  the  book  prescribed.  Half  of 
each  night  he  kept  awake,  and  wrote  the  name  of  God  mentally  on  his  heart  and 
saw  him  with  the  eye  of  thought.  All  this  toil  left  him  weak  and  wan ;  he 
"could  not  even  hold  himself  up  against  the  wind"  ;  yet,  still  his  soul  found  no 
rest ;  and  he  says :  "  I  felt  daily  in  my  mind  a  growing  abhorrence  of  the  law 


Turning  from  Moliammed  to  Christ. 


159 


of  Monainmed.     When   I   arrived   at   my  home,  the   readings   of  the   Koran 
and  my  religious  performances   had  become  altogether  distasteful  to  me." 


MUSSULMANS   OF    BOMBAY. 


During  the  next  ten  years,  the  bad  character  of  the  Mohammedan  teachers 
and  "  holy  "  men,  their  deceit  and  ignorance,  combined  to  convince  Imad-ud-din 


i6o 


Turning  from  Mohammed  to  Christ. 


that  there  was  no  true  religion  at  all.  He  concluded  that  it  was  better  for  him 
to  live  at  ease,  act  honestly,  and  be  satisfied  with  believing  in  the  unity  of  God. 
He  still  believed  in  a  certain  way  that  Mohammedanism  was  true,  though  he  no 
longer  felt  bound  by  its  laws.  "  But,"  he  writes.  "  at  times  when  I  thought  of 
my  death  and  of  the  judgment-day  of  the  Lord,  I  found  myself  standing 
alone,  powerless,  helpless,  and  needy,  in  the  midst  of  fear  and  danger.  So  great 
agitation  used  to  come  over  my  soul  that  my  face  remained  always  pale  ;  and  in 
my  restlessness  I  often  went  to  my  chamber  and  wept  bitterly." 

But  the  hour  of  deliverance  came  at  last,  when  the  Lord  opened  the  eyes  of 
this  blind  seeker,  and  showed  to  him  his  marvelous  light.     Imad-ud-din  heard  of 

the  conversion  to  Christianity  of  a 
learned  Mohammedan.  It  greatly 
angered  him,  and  he  thought  it  his 
duty  to  dispute  with  the  convert 
by  letter.  In  order  to  provide 
himself  with  arguments,  he  pro- 
cured a  Bible  ;  but  he  had  hardly 
reached  the  seventh  chapter  of 
Matthew,  when  he  became  greatly 
agitated.  The  strong,  pure,  heal- 
ing truth  of  Christ  began  to  force 
itself  upon  his  belief.  At  last  he 
fully  accepted  it;  and  the  Lord 
gave  him  peace  and  comfort  and 
joy.  He  says:  "The  agitation 
and  restlessness  of  which  I  have 
spoken  has  entirely  left  me.  Even 
my  health  is  improved,  for  my 
mind  is  never  perplexed  now. 
By  reading  the  Word  of  God,  I 
have  found  great  enjoyment  in  life. 
The  fear  of  death  and  of  the  grave, 
that  before  was  a  disease,  has  been 
much  alleviated.  I  rejoice  greatly 
in  my  Lord,  and  my  soul  is  always 
making  progress  in  his  grace." 

COMING   FROM   THE   MOSQUE.  ^  ^  ^   ^g  ^  Imad.ud.din 

was  received  to  the  communion  of  the  English  Church  at  Amritsar.  He  was 
soon  ordained  as  a  clergyman,  and  still  preaches  to  his  countrymen  there  a 
free  salvation  from  sin  and  death  through  Jesus  Christ  alone. 


OUR  MADURA  JUBILEE.- FEBRUARY,  1854. 

BY   REV.  WILLIAM    S.  ROWLAND,  MAXDAPASALAI,  SOUTH    INDIA. 


FIFTY  years  ago  three  or  four  missionaries  came  over  from  Jaffna,  Ceylon,  and 
commenced  mission  work  in  Madura  city.  Last  week  we  celebrated  the  event 
at  Madura,  in  a  three  days'  jubilee. 


CHURCH  AT   PASUMALAI    (THREE  MILES  FROM   MADURA  CITY). 

Tuesday  morning,  February  26,  at  seven  o'clock,  as  the  church  bell  rang,  we 
heard  the  noise  of  drums  and  trumpets  and  cornets.  Soon  a  procession  formed. 
The  Christians  from  Madura  West  Gate  and  Pasumalai  came  first,  and  then 
from  Madura  East,  and  then  from  all  the  other  stations,  with  one  banner  for 


1 62  Our  Madura  Jubilee. 

each  station  with  its  name,  while  some  stations  had  six,  eight,  or  even  ten  banners. 
A  cannon  commenced  firing,  and  before  noon  had  counted  the  fifty  years  with  its 
loud  reports.  The  procession  moved  from  the  mission  compound  to  the  large 
pavilion  erected  on  the  ground  belonging  to  the  Woman's  Board.  The  platform 
was  soon  covered  with  missionaries,  and  the  building  crowded  with  eager 
Christians.  More  than  fifteen  hundred  were  seated,  while  fully  five  hundred 
more  were  standing  outside. 

Mr.  Chandler,  senior,  was  the  chairman  for  the  day.  After  the  opening 
exercises  a  sermon  was  preached  by  the  native  pastor  of  the  Pasumalai  church, 
who  is  also  a  teacher  in  the  Theological  Seminary.  The  great  audience  sat 
perfectly  still,  as  indeed  through  all  the  exercises  of  the  three  days.  I  have 
never  in  this  country  seen  so  quiet  an  audience  ;  even  the  children  did  not  cry. 
The  exercises  continued  till  half-past  ten  o'clock.  At  two  o'clock,  P.M.,  all 
assembled  again  to  listen  to  a  series  of  interesting  papers. 

At  half-past  four  o'clock  the  people  from  each  station  went  promptly  to  their 
allotted  places,  to  prepare  for  the  grand  procession.  It  was  a  serious  undertaking 
to  march  through  the  streets  of  this  great  heathen  city,  especially  in  view  of  the 
recent  riots  in  other  districts.  Permission  had  been  obtained  of  the  chief  of 
police,  though,  being  somewhat  fearful  of  the  result,  he  had  ordered  the  police 
to  attend  us  and  keep  watch  along  the  way  indicated.  Two  missionaries  on 
horseback  directed  the  movements  of  the  procession. 

At  five  o'clock  exactly  the  Madura  division  started ;  then  came  Dindigul,  with 
its  banners  ;  then  Tirumangalam  ;  then  Tirupuvanam,  with  its  big  basedrum  and 
smaller  drums  and  trumpets ;  then  Pasumalai ;  then  Periakulam,  with  its  four 
banners ;  then  Mandapasalai,  with  eleven  banners  and  a  band ;  then  followed 
Battalagundu,  Melur,  Palani,  and,  when  Mana  Madura  fell  in,  the  head  of  the 
procession  was  far  down  towards  the  "  Elephant  Statue."  More  than  fifteen 
hundred  were  in  line.  The  Madura  city  band,  not  very  great  or  grand  when 
compared  with  English  bands,  but  grand  for  Madura,  led  the  way.  Two  trumpeters 
went  in  front,  and  every  few  rods  lifted  up  their  "  ram's  horns  "  of  brass,  five  feet 
long,  shaped  like  an  S,  and  blew  a  deafening  blast.  One  of  the  missionaries  on 
horseback  (Mr.  Chandler)  passed  on  rapidly  ahead  to  see  that  all  was  right. 
The  other  one  rode  directly  in  front  of  the  line,  controlled  its  movements,  and 
directed  its  way  through  the  streets.  At  the  Elephant  Statue  the  missionaries  in 
their  carriages  and  bandies  stood  waiting  to  see  us.  Then,  passing  through  cross 
streets,  they  met  the  procession  at  two  other  places.  At  the  "  Line  "  church  we 
halted  and  cheered.  Then,  at  the  West  Gate  church  we  were  showered  with 
flower  petals  by  the  handful  and  sprinkled  with  rosewater.  From  the  West  Gate 
to  the  pavilion  the  missionaries  on  horseback  rode  side  by  side  and  led  the  way. 
It  was  a  stirring  sight,  that  long  procession  of  fifteen  hundred  Christians,  with 
banners  waving  and  bands  of  music  and  singing,  passing  through  the  streets  of 
that  great  heathen  city  and  under  the  shadow  of  temples  built  before  our  fore- 
fathers ever  dreamed  of  Plymouth  Rock.  The  police  had  nothing  to  do  but 
to  enjoy  it.  Not  a  soul  thought  of  molesting  us.  Hundreds  rushed  to  their 
verandas  and  doors  and  stared  at  us  in  open-mouthed  wonder.  Madura  never 
before  knew  or  believed  that  there  were  so  many  Christians  in  the  district. 


Our  Madura  Jubilee. 


163 


Passing  under  triumphal  arches  erected  in  the  street,  we  returned  to  the  pavilion 
just  at  dusk.  It  took  us  two  hours  to  go  the  three  miles.  Without  dispersing, 
the  people  sat  down  and  listened  until  after  nine  to  the  concert  of  praise  by  the 
boys  and  girls  from  our  boarding-schools.  For  variety  we  had  an  overture  from 
the  Dindigul  band,  a  duet  with  the  flute  and  organ,  another  with  cornet  and 
organ,  and  some  Maratha  singing  by  missionaries  from  Bombay. 

Wednesday,  with  Mr.  Noyes  as  chairman,  was  devoted  to  the  consideration  of 
education  and  giving.     In  the  afternoon  the  contributions  from  the  different 


stations  began  to  come  in.  Many  of  the  helpers  had  given  one  month's  salary. 
After  these  contributions  were  announced,  station  by  station,  individual  offerings 
were  made.  One  catechist,  who  had  been  twenty-eight  years  in  mission  employ- 
ment, promised  to  serve  hereafter  without  salary.  A  missionary  held  up  a  silver 
bracelet,  worth  perhaps  twenty-five  cents,  which  a  heathen  man  had  put  on  his 
arm,  vowing  that,  if  his  idol  would  cure  him,  he  would  take  it  off  in  a  certain 
temple,  involving  a  long  and  expensive  pilgrimage.  He  had  just  become 
a  Christian,  and,  in  proof  of  his  sincerity,  allowed  the  missionary  to  unclasp  the 
bracelet  and  take  it.  It  was  at  once  bid  for  and  brought  £7.50. 


164 


Our  Madura  Jubilee. 


The  prayer-meeting  in  the  morning  had  been  for  children  and  youth,  and 
upon  the  subject  of  consecration.  Several  stirring  speeches  had  been  made, 
and  in  response  to  one  nearly  the  whole  audience  rose  in  pledge  of  more  earnest 
work  and  devotion  in  the  Master's  cause.  This  meeting  showed  its  effect  in  the 
gifts  in  the  afternoon.  Many  had  brought  cows,  calves,  fowls,  grain,  etc.,  all  of 
which  were  sold  at  auction  at  the  close  of  the  meeting.  The  members  of  one 
small  congregation,  too  poor  to  own  any  land,  and  living  on  the  bounty  of  the 
rich  farmers,  gave  nearly  a  bushel  of  rice,  which  they  had  received  from  their 
heathen  masters  as  their  hire  in  the  harvest.  Two  brass  pots  were  tied  to  posts 
in  the  building  to  receive  offerings  of  money.  When  I  broke  the  seal  and 
counted  the  money,  I  found  three  dollars  and 
seventy-five  cents,  and  four  well-worn  silver 
finger-rings.  Some  poor  women,  shrinking 
from  the  publicity  of  going  to  the  platform 
and  having  their  names  announced,  had  quietly 
put  the  rings  into  the  pots.  The  sum  total  of 
all  the  gifts  was  over  $2,000,  and  we  have  good 
reason  to  hope  that  it  will  be  made  up  to  $2,500 
before  the  close  of  the  year. 

Wednesday  evening  Dr.  Chester  exhibited 
his  sciopticon  pictures  in  the  pavilion  to  the 
Christians,  while  Mr.  Tracy,  with  the  help  of 

others,  showed   his  in  the  street  at  the  West  Gate,  and  made  it  a  preaching 
service  to  the  heathen,  several  hundred  listening  quietly  for  two  hours. 

Thursday  morning,  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  we  had  a  most  stirring  English 
meeting,  all  the  natives  who  could  understand  English  being  present.  Dr. 
Chester  presided,  and  several  interesting  speeches  were  made.  Mr.  Rowland, 
junior,  of  Jaffna,  greeted  us  as  the  daughter  of  the  Jaffna  mission,  and  remarked 
that  if  it  were  not  for  the  little  splash  of  water  between  us  we  should  all  belong 
to  the  Jaffna  mission.  Letters  were  read  from  former  missionaries  now  in 
America,  some  of  whom  had  been  in  the  mission  at  its  very  beginning.  In  the 
afternoon  perhaps  more  than  a  thousand  sat  down  and  partook  of  the  sacramental 
emblems.  It  was  a  blessed  sight  —  that  large  company  of  redeemed  heathen 
sitting  clothed  and  in  their  right  minds,  their  faces  beaming  with  intelligence 
and  love,  and  all  together  remembering  Christ  at  his  table. 

In  the  evening  there  was  an  exhibition  of  fireworks,  thus  finishing  a  three 
days'  meeting  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  participated  in  it. 


KIRTTANS  OF  INDIA. 


Ix  the  Marathi  language  this  word  Kirttan  is  used  to  denote  what  we  would 
call  a  sacred  concert,  or  a  praise  meeting.  Rev.  Mr.  Wells,  who  was  our 
missionary  located  at  Panchgani,  in  Western  India,  sent  an  account  of  a 
series  of  these  Kirttans  held  at  Wai  in  1880,  a  city  of  about  eleven  thousand 
inhabitants,  many  of  whom  are 
Brahmans.  These  Brahmans  are 
the  men  of  highest  rank,  who  scorn 
the  people  of  the  lower  castes,  and 
hence  it  is  very  difficult  to  reach 
them  with  the  teachings  of  the  gos- 
pel. Wai  is  situated  on  the  Krishna 
River,  about  one  hundred  miles 
southeast  of  Bombay,  and  twenty 
miles  west  of  the  city  of  Satara,  one 
of  our  missionary  stations,  a  picture 
of  which  is  given  on  a  following 
page.  Mr.  Wells,  of  Panchgani,  and 
Mr.  Bruce,  of  Satara,  met  at  Wai, 
in  September,  1880,  to  spend  a  few 
days  in  Christian  work  in  that  city. 
Mr.  Bruce  brought  with  him  a  com- 
pany of  trained  singers  and  players, 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  a  series 
of  Kirttans.  We  will  let  Mr.  Wells 
te'l  the  story  of  their  experiences. 

'•  The  partel,  or  head-man  of  the 
village,  kindly  gave  us  the  use  of 
the  government  city  office.  The 
building  is  open  on  two  sides. 

Last  night  the  first  Kirttan  was  held.     Rev.  Mr.  Kassambhai.  the  leader,  took 
his  position  near  the  front,  with  a  small  table  before  him. 

"  Before  telling  of  the  singing,  let  me  sav  a  few  words  about  Mr.  Kassam- 
bhai. Standing  there  with  his  strongly  marked  Mussulman  features,  with  his 
long  beard  and  long,  flowing  white  robes,  I  could  but  admire  him,  and  was 
rejoiced  that  we  had  a  man  of  his  stamp  who  was  not  only  willing,  but  who 


MISSIONARY   TOURING. 


1 66 


Kirttans  of  India. 


gladly  stood  up  to  speak  and  to  sing  to  his  countrymen  of  Christ  as  his  and 
their  Saviour.  Although  this  man  understands  Marathi,  Hindostani,  and  Eng- 
lish, and  can  speak  fluently  in  each  of  these  languages,  still  he  is  one  of  the  most 
unassuming  persons  I  have  seen.  Besides  the  leader  there  were  three  other 
singers.  One  had  a  drum,  one  an  instrument  much  like  a  guitar,  and  one  had 
two  small  cymbals.  The  man  who  plays  on  the  drum  is  perfectly  blind ;  he  is 
a  very  good  singer,  and  it  is  quite  interesting  to  see  how  he  makes  the  drum 
ring  with  his  fingers.  If  any  instrument  is  ever  out  of  tune  this  blind  man 
must  tune  it." 

A    HEATHEN    PROCESSION. 

"  Just  after  the  commencement  of  the  singing,  a  large  procession  of  heathen 
passed  by  carrying  a  small  palkie,  in  which  was  a  small  image  of  Ganpatti. 
This  was  a  festival  day  to  the  god  Ganpatti,  and  so  all  honor  was  being  given 
to  him.  Among  the  first  in  the  procession  were  some  twenty  or  thirty  men, 

each  one  holding  in  his  hand  a  stick 
about  three  feet  long,  to  which  were 
attached  a  number  of  small  cym- 
bals which  rattled  and  rang  out  as 
they  moved.  They  kept  these  sticks 
constantly  moving  about  in  all  di- 
rections, above  their  heads,  down 
by  the  right  side,  by  the  left  side, 
down  by  the  feet,  and  in  many  other 
ways,  but  all  the  time  they  kept 
their  motions  in  perfect  unison.  It 
was  wonderful  to  me  how  they  could 
do  this.  After  these  performers  fol- 
lowed a  number  of  persons  making 
a  great  noise  on  large  cymbals  and 
drums.  Does  it  not  seem  strange 
they  should  think  that  these  gym- 
nastics and  all  this  noise  should  be 
pleasing  to  the  god  ?  The  enthusi- 
asm and  devotion  manifested  were 
GANPATTI,  THE  GOD  OF  WISDOM.  worthy  of  a  better  cause.  One  thing 

which  they  did  seemed  to  us  specially  foolish,  and  only  worthy  of  being  laughed 
at.  They  fancied  for  some  reason  that  on  that  night  they  must  not  on  any  ac- 
count see  the  moon.  The  moon  was  then  two  days  old,  and  in  the  west  towards 
which  they  were  marching.  Some  carefully  held  before  their  faces  a  piece  of 
their  clothing,  looking  only  downward  or  away  from  the  moon.  Some  even 
carried  umbrellas." 

Ganpatti,  in  whose  honor  this  procession  which  Mr.  Wells  describes  was 
conducted,  is  the  Hindu  god  of  wisdom,  and  is  especially  worshiped  by  scholars 
and  literary  men.  He  is  always  represented,  as  in  the  accompanying  cut,  with 
an  elephant's  head.  The  account  given  of  the  way  he  came  to  have  such  a 
head  shows  what  a  debased  notion  the  Hindus  entertain  of  their  gods.  The 
story  is  that  Ganpatti  was  the  son  of  Shiva,  the  Destroyer,  one  of  the  three 
principal  Hindu  divinities.  Shiva  was  one  day  so  angry  with  his  little  boy  that 


Kirttans  of  India. 


167 


he  cut  off  his  head.    The  father  seemed  to  care  nothing  for  this,  but  the  child's 
mother  grieved  so  much  that  Shiva  promised  to  replace  his  head.     When  they 


came  to  look  for  it,  however,  it  could  not  be  found.  What  should  be  done  ? 
The  boy  must  have  a  head,  and  Shiva  declared  he  would  furnish  him  with  one. 
The  head  of  the  first  creature  he  met  should  be  given  to  him.  It  happened  to 
be  an  elephant,  and  Shiva  cut  off  his  head  with  his  sword  and  placed  it  upon 


1 68  Kirttans  of  India. 

the  boy's  shoulders,  where  it  grew.  Ganpatti  is  a  very  popular  god  in  India,  and 
his  image  may  be  found  everywhere,  sitting  with  legs  coiled  under  him,  with 
any  number  of  hands,  and  always  with  the  elephant's  trunk.  And  this  is  the 
god  especially  of  the  scholars  and  wise  men  of  India  !  How  truly  does  the 
Bible  say  that "  the  wisdom  of  this  world  knew  not  God.  " 

THE    SINGING    AND    PREACHING. 

This  procession  in  honor  of  Ganpatti,  with  its  noise  and  commotion,  inter- 
rupted the  Kirttan,  but  after  it  has  passed  by,  the  people  settled  down  again, 
and  the  service  proceeded.  Mr.  Wells  thus  describes  the  exercises :  — 

"  The  subject  of  the  Kirttan  that  evening  was,  '  There  is  but  one  God  and 
•one  Saviour.'  The  service  is  conducted  as  follows  :  the  company  would  sing  for 
two  or  three  minutes,  and  then  the  leader  would  explain  the  hymn  and  illustrate 
its  meaning.  Kassambhai  has  an  admirable  way  of  explaining  what  is  sung ; 
he  clinches  what  is  said  by  apt  quotations  from  the  Hindu  shastras,  or  sacred 
books.  Against  these  quotations  the  Hindus  dare  not  say  a  word.  I  will  give 
-one  of  Kassambhai's  illustrations.  He  said  :  '  Long  ago  a  bitter  gourd  was 
.given  to  one  who  was  about  to  visit  the  sacred  streams  of  India,  with  the 
instruction  to  wash  it  in  all  the  holy  waters  he  came  to.  He  returned  after 
making  a  long  pilgrimage.  The  owner  took  the  gourd,  and,  on  cutting  it, 
found  it  to  be  still  as  bitter  as  ever.  Although  it  had  been  carefully  washed  in 
holy  water  it  still  remained  a  bitter  gourd.  So  the  heart  remained  sinful  and 
wicked,  though  the  body  was  bathed  in  the  sacred  rivers  of  India.' 

"The  subject  of  the  second  Kirttan  was  'The  Prodigal  Son.'  The  chief 
•constable  of  the  region  said  he  thought  there  were  1,000  persons  present,  the 
most  of  whom  stood  out  of  doors  and  listened.  The  natives  like  their  own 
native  tunes,  and  seem  never  to  tire  of  listening  to  them.  In  these  Kirttans 
the  tune  is  constantly  changed,  so  there  is  no  monotony.  It  was  quite  touching 
when  they  sang,  '  Come  back,  come  back,  prodigal  son,  come  back  to  your 
father's  home.'  At  other  times  the  people  were  in  laughter  at  what  was  sung  — 
this  was  the  case  when  they  sang  the  names  of  a  great  number  of  the  Hindu 
gods  ;  also,  when  they  sang  of  how  many  foolish  ways  people  spend  their 
money,  as  upon  tobacco,  native  liquor,  etc. 

"  Last  evening  the  subject  of  the  Kiritan  was,  '  Prayer.'  You  may  know 
that  it  was  interesting  when  I  tell  you  that  many  stood  in  the  rain  for  a  whole 
hour  to  listen.  This  morning  we  all  —  seven  native  Christian  men,  Mr.  B.,  and 
myself  —  went  into  the  city  to  preach.  We  had  a  large  audience.  If  any  in 
the  audience  commenced  talking  and  tried  to  get  up  a  discussion,  the  native 
Christians  would  start  up  a  song,  after  which  we  could  go  on  with  the  preaching 
in  quiet.  During  the  week  we  distributed  many  tracts  all  over  the  city,  so  that 
in  Wai  the  people  have  heard  more  of  Christianity  than  ever  before,  and  we 
hope  good  will  come  from  it." 


CHINA. 


HE^ite*- :- •       4dbre 
y.-f^W   i^wVjtegaa^*-  -\ 

^fc,  •      ^  /^^ 

'^\,     Yung-iuhO,/  «.»»?**' 

VuHKIEJST 


CHINA. 

IF  all  the  people  of  all  the  world  can  be  imagined  as  standing  abreast,  in 
a  single  line,  so  that  they  should  just  touch  one  another,  that  line  would  be 
about  500,000  miles  long,  long  enough  to  reach  around  the  earth  twenty 
times.  And  if  vou  could  pass  in  front  of  that  line  and  look  on  each  face, 
at  least  one  man  in  even-  four  you  would  see,  would  be  a  Chinaman. 


MERCANTILE  WAREHOUSE.  PEKING. 

There  are  eighteen  provinces  in  China  proper,  each  one  being  about  as 
large  as  Great  Britain,  and  yet  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  many  of  the  boys 
and  girls  who  have  finished  their  geographies,  know  so  much  as  the  name 
of  any  one  of  these  provinces.  We  Americans  talk  much  of  our  vast 
country,  yet  China  with  its  dependencies  has  300,000  more  square  miles 
than  are  found  in  all  our  States  and  Territories,  including  Alaska.  On  each 
square  mile  in  the  United  States  there  dwell,  on  an  average,  ten  or  eleven 
persons,  while  China  has  at  least  two  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants  for 
every  one  of  her  square  miles. 


1 74  China. 

There  are  from  three  to  four  hundred  millions  of  souls  in  the  empire, 
and  though  we  think  a  good  beginning  has  been  made  towards  giving  them 
the  gospel  of  Jesus,  and  many  thousands  have  already  learned  to  love  him, 
there  has  not  yet  been  sent  from  all  Christian  lands  so  much  as  one  min- 
ister for  each  million  of  people.  What  should  we  think  if  there  were  only 
forty  ministers  of  Christ  in  all  the  United  States  of  America  ?  If  Chris- 
tians knew  more  about  China  and  thought  more  about  it,  they  would  surely 
make  more  effort  to  give  to  its  millions  the  gospel. 

THE  CENTRAL  FLOWERY  KINGDOM. 

The  Chinese  have  many  names  for  the  land  they  inhabit.  It  is  from 
their  name  Tsi'n  or  Chin,  that  our  word  China  comes.  This  is  very  like  the 
name  Sinim,  by  which  it  is  supposed  China  is  referred  to  in  the  Bible 
(Is.  xlix.  12).  They  call  it  also  "The  Middle  Kingdom,"  sometimes  "The 
Central  Flowery  Kingdom,"  because  they  suppose  it  stands  in  the  centre 
of  the  earth. 

On  the  opposite  page  is  a  picture  of  the  Great  Wall  built  upon  the 
northern  boundaries  of  the  empire  two  hundred  years  before  our  Saviour 
came  to  earth.  It  was  designed  as  a  defense  against  the  warlike  Tartars, 
but  is  now  quite  useless.  It  runs  from  the  sea  along  the  northern  border 
of  the  empire  for  1,300  miles  (some  authorities  say  1,500),  passing  through 
the  valleys  and  over  lofty  mountain  ranges.  The  wall  varies  from  fifteen  to 
thirty  feet  in  height,  and  is  about  as  thick  as  it  is  high,  while  at  intervals 
there  are  large  square  towers,  some  of  them  being  fifty  feet  high.  It  is  said 
that  six  horsemen  could  ride  abreast  on  the  top  of  the  wall.  What  energy 
and  patience  the  Chinese  must  have  had  to  build  this  enormous  structure, 
which  has  lasted  now  for  over  two  thousand  years  ! 

WORSHIP    OF   ANCESTORS. 

There  are  said  to  be  three  national  religions  in  China.  One  originated 
with  Confucius,  a  sage  who  lived  about  six  hundred  years  before  Christ. 
All  the  Chinese  reverence  him,  and  yet  a  large  portion  of  them  follow 
another  religion  than  the  one  he  taught.  Some  are  Taoists,  and  some 
Buddhists.  But  while  these  three  forms  of  religion  are  professed,  the 
people  care  little  about  any  one  of  them.  Once  or  twice  a  year  each 
Chinaman  bows  and  worships  heaven  and  earth,  but  every  day  of  the  year 
and  in  every  house  in  the  land,  worship  is  offered  to  departed  ancestors. 
The  universal  religion  of  China  is  the  worship  of  ancestors.  Each  family 
keeps  what  are  called  ancestral  tablets.  These  are  boards,  usually  about 
twelve  inches  long  by  three  wide,  on  which  are  written  the  name,  rank, 
titles,  birth  and  death  days  of  each  deceased  member  of  the  household. 
Every  day,  morning  and  evening,  incense  is  burned  and  worship  offered 
before  these  tablets. 

One  of  the  saddest  things  about  the  religions  of  China  is  that  none  of 
them  seem  to  have  it  for  their  object  to  make  men  better.  A  priest  once 
said  to  a  missionary:  "Your  religion  does  not  give  what  the  people  want. 
When  they  worship  they  wish  to  know  whether  they  can  grow  rich  and 
recover  from  disease.  In  the  case  of  believing  in  Jesus,  there  are  no  ben- 


Chitia. 


1/6 


China. 


efits  of  this  kind."     The  people  have  no  idea  of  a  religion  whose  aim  is  to 
free  from  sin  and  make  men  pure. 

Though  the  Chinese  are  good  scholars  and  have  many  books,  they  are  as 
superstitious  as  the  lowest  savages.  They  believe  in  ghosts  and  evil 
spirits,  and  one  of  their  singular  notions  is  that  these  evil  spirits  go  in 
straight  lines,  and  hence  they  make  their  streets  crooked  so  as  to  confuse 
and  keep  off  the  bad  spirits.  They  also  believe  in  an  oracle  by  which  they 


CONSULTING    THE   ORACLE. 

can  foretell  their  fate.  The  picture  above  represents  a  person  consulting 
this  oracle  before  a  priest.  While  incense  is  burning  and  crackers  are  fired 
off,  to  keep  the  god  awake  and  attentive,  the  inquirer  shakes  a  cup  in  which 
are  placed  strips  of  wood  with  some  written  words  upon  them,  and  from 
the  strips  that  fall  upon  the  ground  he  learns  his  fate. 

Another  singular  notion  of  the  Chinese  is  that  they  can  convey  to  any 
spirit,  whether  human  or  divine,  whatever  they  may  please,  by  simply  burn- 
ing the  article,  or  an  image  of  it,  in  the  flames.  Hence  as  they  think  that 
a  friend,  after  his  spirit  leaves  the  body,  will  need  just  what  he  needed  here, 
they  burn  paper  images  of  these  objects,  and  so  fancy  that  they  reach  the 
departed  soul.  A  missionary  describes  a  paper  house  which  he  once  saw 
built  for  a  person  who  had  died.  "  It  was  about  ten  feet  high  and  twelve 
deep.  It  contained  a  sleeping  room,  library,  reception  room,  hall,  and 


China. 


--- 


treasury.  It  was  furnished  with  paper  chairs  and  tables.  Boxes  of  paper 
money  were  carried  in.  There  was  a  sedan-chair,  with  bearers,  and  also  a 
boat  and  boatman,  for  the  use  of  the  deceased  in  the  unseen  world.  A 
table  spread  with  food  was  placed  in  front  of  the  house."  This  whole 
paper  establishment  was  suddenly  set  fire  to,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  fusillade 
of  crackers  it  quickly  vanished  in  the  flames.  What  a  pitiable  notion  this  is 
as  to  what  human  souls  will  need  in  the  future ! 


This  idea  that  whatever  is  burned  in  the  sacred  flame  is  thus  conveyed 
to  unseen  spirits,  is  applied  to  prayers.  The  Chinaman  always  writes  his 
prayers  and  then  burns  them.  So  he  fancies  they  go  up  to  the  god  or 
spirit  he  would  address.  The  practice  of  writing  prayers  explains  the 
picture  above.  The  priests  behind  the  bar  are  filling  up  blank  prayers, 


1 78 


Cliina. 


according  to  the  wishes  of  their  customers  who  come  with  their  various 
wants.  People  come  to  buy  prayers  for  themselves  and  for  others,  and 
having  nad  them  filled  out,  they  go  away  to  burn  them. 


;  BURNING    PRAYERS. 

Among  other  singular  customs  of  the  Chinese  are  those  connected  with 
the  death  and  burial  of  people.  When  any  man  is  supposed  to  be  dying 
he  is  taken  into  the  hall  of  his  house  and  washed  and  dressed  in  his  best 
clothes.  Of  course  such  treatment  often  hastens  death.  When  he  is  fairly 
dead  a  priest  is  called  who  exhorts  the  spirit  to  leave  the  body.  Coins  of 
gold  or  silver  are  put  in  the  dead  man's  mouth.  With  these,  it  is  supposed, 
he  can  pay  his  way  in  the  other  world.  The  coffin  is  usually  all  ready, 
since  most  Chinese  make  this  provision  for  themselves  long  before  they  die. 
It  is  said  that  children  often  present  their  fathers  and  mothers  with  a  coffin 
as  a  suitable  birth-day  gift  when  they  have  completed  their  sixty-first  year. 
After  the  body  has  been  closely  sealed  in  the  coffin,  it  is  kept  in  the  house 


China. 


179 


for  fifty  days  of  mourning.  During  each  of  these  days,  the  family  go  into 
the  street,  and  kneeling  in  front  of  the  house  they  wail  bitterly.  All  the 
relatives  send  offerings  of  food  and  money  to  be  placed  before  the  coffin 


for  the  use  of  the  spirit  which  remains  in 
the  body.  They  imagine  that  each  person 
has  three  souls,  and  on  the  twenty-first  day 
of  mourning  they  raise  huge  paper  birds  on 
long  poles,  and  these  birds  are  supposed 
to  carry  away  one  of  the  souls  to  heaven. 

HOW  THEY  BURY  THE  DEAD. 

The  Chinese  are  like  some  foolish  people  in  America  in  imagining  that 
good  or  bad  luck  is  connected   with  certain  days  and  places. 


But  the 


T  80  China. 

Chinese  carry  it  so  far  that  they  seek  a  lucky  spot  for  a  grave,  and  a  lucky 
day  and  hour  for  the  funeral.  This  often  takes  a  long  while,  and  a  burial 
has  been  known  to  be  delayed  many  months  till  a  really  lucky  time  could 
be  pitched  upon.  When  the  day  comes  the  people  gather  at  the  beating  of 
gongs,  and  the  priest  calls  upon  the  remaining  spirit  to  accompany  the 
coffin  to  the  tomb.  The  procession  is  then  formed,  of  which  we  have  an 
engraving  on  the  preceding  page,  taken  from  a  native  picture.  The  cere- 
monies are  almost  endless,  quite  too  many  to  describe  here.  Usually  a 
band  of  musicians,  or  gong-beaters,  goes  first,  then  men  with  banners  on 
which  are  inscribed  the  names  and  titles  of  the  deceased  and  his  ancestors. 
In  the  sedan-chair  which  follows  is  placed  the  man's  portrait.  Then  fol- 
low more  gong-beaters,  and  near  them  a  person  who  scatters  on  the  ground 
paper  money,  representing  gold  and  silver  coins.  This  mock-money  is  sup- 
posed to  be  for  the  hungry  ghosts  who  are  wandering  through  the  air,  and 
will  annoy  the  departed  soul  unless  they  receive  toll.  Then  comes  the 
coffin,  and  after  that  the  relatives  all  clad  in  white,  the  mourning  color  in 
China. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  procession  at  the  burial-place,  a  person  who  is  sup- 
posed to  be  able  to  drive  away  evil  spirits  strikes  each  corner  of  the  grave 
with  a  spear,  and  the  priest  calls  upon  the  soul  of  the  dead  man  to  remain 
with  his  body  in  the  tomb. 

CRUELTIES    TO    CHILDREN. 

Is  not  all  this  a  sad  story  of  superstition  ?  And  the  Chinese  in  some  di- 
rections are  as  cruel  as  they  are  superstitious.  If  they  are  kind  to  their 
parents,  they  are  inhuman  to  their  children.  The  girls  suffer  most.  Their 
feet  are  tightly  bound  to  keep  them  small,  in  a  way  to  give  them  constant 
pain.  The  wail  of  the  poor  feet-bound  girls  is  heard  far  and  wide  in  China. 
And  in  some  provinces  parents  kill  their  daughters  and  nothing  is  thought 
of  it.  It  is  said  that  in  the  great  city  of  Foochow,  more  than  half  of  the 
families  have  destroyed  one  or  more  of  their  daughters. 

What  can  save  such  a  people  but  the  gospel  of  Jesus  ?  It  is  pleasant  to 
close  this  sad  story  of  wickedness  and  superstition  by  telling  how  the  light 
is  beginning  to  shine  in  the  midst  of  the  darkness.  Forty  years  ago  no 
Protestant  missionary  was  permitted  to  live  within  the  bounds  of  China. 
Now  twenty-six  missionary  societies  are  maintaining  laborers,  and  over  300 
churches  have  been  organized,  having  probably  over  20,000  persons  con- 
nected with  them,  while  there  are  many  thousands  more  who  have  left  their 
idol-worship,  and  are  hearing  the  gospel  of  Jesus.  It  is  said  that  as  many  as 
600  native  Chinamen  are  now  employed  as  preachers  or  Christian  teachers. 
Will  not  some  of  the  young  people  who  have  read  the  story  of  China  ask  God 
to  fit  them  to  go  to  that  land  with  the  blessed  Word  of  Life  ? 


THE  CELESTIAL  EMPIRE. 


So  the  Chinese  call  their  land,  believing  that  it  is  the  centre  of  the  world 
and  the  especial  favorite  of  heaven.  It  is,  indeed,  in  many  respects  a  beautiful 
land.  The  picture  here  given  is  said  to  be  a  fair  representation  of  the  country. 
Here  we  have  the  mountain  and  the  plain,  the  canal  and  the  bridges.  In  the 
foreground  we  see  a  man  bowing  obsequiously  before  a  mandarin,  or  high  offi- 
cial, over  whose  head  a  servant  holds  an  umbrella.  Canals  are  so  common  in 
some  parts  of  China  that  bridges  are  seen  in  every  direction,  and  they  are 


A  SCENE  IN  CHINA. 


said  to  be  all  of  one  style  of  construction,  varying  only  in  size  and  height. 
There  is  a  singular  reason  given  why  many  of  them  are  very  low.  The  Chinese 
believe,  more  than  in  anything  else,  in  the  power  of  unseen  spirits,  and  in  what 
they  call  fung-shwui,  or  luck.  Some  places  are  supposed  to  be  lucky,  and 
some  unlucky.  This  good  luck  of  a  locality,  as  they  imagine,  can  be  disturbed 


182 


The  Celestial  Empire. 


by  some  change  in  the  buildings  or  in  the  land.  Mr.  Nevius,  who  was  a  mis- 
sionary in  China  for  many  years,  says  that  the  theory  about  fung-shwtti,  or 
luck,  has  a  great  effect  upon  the  height  of  the  canal  bridges,  inasmuch  as  those 
who  live  near  the  bridges  sometimes  demand  that  they  be  built  very  low 
because  their  luck  will  fail  them  should  any  marked  change  be  made  in  the 
face  of  the  country.  He  also  tells  us  that  a  house  is  considered  very  unlucky 
when  the  corners  of  another  house  point  towards  it,  or  it  is  surrounded  by 
higher  buildings.  When  a  new  house  is  built  lanterns  are  hung  on  the  frame, 
night  after  night,  while  gongs  are  beaten,  to  attract  the  luck.  But  this  process, 

which  is  supposed  to 
help  the  new  house, 
injures  the  neigh- 
bors' luck,  drawing 
it  away  from  their 
dwellings,  and  so 
they  feel  obliged  to 
try  to  keep  their  luck 
by  lifting  their  lan- 
terns higher,  and  by  a 
louder  drumming  up- 
on gongs.  When  the 
English  Church  mis- 
s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s,  at  Foo- 
chow,  had  some 
trouble  last  year  in 
the  Chinese  courts, 
one  of  the  complaints 
made  against  them 
by  the  natives  was 
that  they  had  de- 
stroyed the  luck  of 
the  city  by  building 
their  houses  with 
high  pitched  roofs. 
This  was  the  way  in 
which  the  Chinese 
accounted  for  the  re- 
cent floods  which 
have  come  upon  the  city.  The  Chinese  are  often  said  to  be  well  educated. 
This  is  true  of  only  a  small  part  of  the  people,  and  even  those  who  spend  years 
in  the  schools  give  most  of  their  time  to  commit  to  memory  long  passages  from 
their  classics.  Even  the  best  educated  know  little  about  the  world.  On  a 
Chinese  map  of  the  world,  one  that  was  recently  bought  there,  the  eighteen 
provinces  of  the  Empire  are  put  down,  but  all  other  countries  are  marked 
simply  by  spots.  The  world  is  represented  as  resting  on  a  buffalo,  and  earth- 
quakes are  supposed  to  be  caused  by  the  motion  of  the  beast  as  he  shifts  his 
burden. 


A   CHINESE    OFFICIAL. 


The  Celestial  Empire.  183 

THE   MANDARINS. 

This  is  the  name  given  by  foreigners  to  government  officers  in  China.  The 
Emperor  is  at  the  head,  and  among  the  numerous  titles  by  which  he  is  ad- 
dressed are  these :  the  August  Lofty  One  ;  the  Celestial  Sovereign  ;  the  Son 
of  Heaven.  Underneath  the  Emperor  are  nine  ranks  of  officials  who  are 
chosen  from  among  those  who  have  passed  successful  examinations.  These 
various  classes  of  officers  are  known  by  the  color  of  the  buttons  they  wear, 
some  of  the  buttons  being  of  ruby  and  coral  and  sapphire.  Officers  of  the 
third  rank  wear  also  a  one-eyed  peacock  feather.  The  picture  opposite  repre- 
sents a  mandarin  in  full  dress.  As  a  class  they  are  intelligent  and  shrewd, 
but  they  are  often  very  corrupt  and  extortionate,  using  their  power  for  selfish 
ends.  Some  of  them,  however,  have  accepted  the  gospel  and  become  true 
Christians.  The  officials  have  been  much  impressed  by  the  benevolent  work 
accomplished  by  the  missionaries,  especially  in  connection  with  hospitals  and 
dispensaries  for  the  relief  of  the  suffering.  May  God  move  the  hearts  of  all 
these  rulers  so  that  the  millions  of  China  may  be  led  to  accept  the  gospel. 

A   GRATEFUL   CHINAMAN. 

Among  the  recent  patients  at  the  Hospital  which  our  missionary,  Dr.  Osgood, 
had  established  at  Foochow,  was  a  military  officer,  who  had  been  an  opium 
smoker.  He  was  severely  sick  when  he  came  to  the  Christian  Asylum,  but 
after  a  while  he  was  cured.  He  was  so  grateful  that  when  about  to  leave  he 
set  up  a  tablet  in  the  hospital,  with  an  inscription,  of  which  we  here  give  an 
exact  copy,  only  very  much  smaller  than  the  original.  Here  is  the  translation 
of  it,  the  title  being  the  four  words  in  largest  type  :  — 

"  The  Chinlse  and  Foreign  (are  as)  Own 


Brothers. 

"The  Honorable  Osgood  from  the 
West,  esteemed  an  excellent  physician, 
of  skill  in  the  land,  crossed  an  ocean  to 
China ;  of  mind  clear  and  expansive,  with 
a  manifest  spirit  of  brotherly  regard  to- 
ward the  people.  I  dwell  affectionately 
on  his  name.  When  residing  in  the  asy- 
lum and  submitting  to  medical  treatment, 
the  approach  of  his  hand  expelled  dis- 
ease as  when  (the  genius)  Hwa-to  was  in 
A  MEMORIAL  TABLET.  the  world.  This  truly  was  a  fortune  be- 

stowed by  Heaven  !     I  therefore  inscribe  four  words  '  Chung  Wai  T'ung  Pao  ' 
not  only  as  a  memorial  of  gratitude,  but  also  of  love. 

"Great  Pure  Dynasty,  Kwangsii  5th  year  ist  moon,  on  a  felicitous  day,  Chiu 
Taik  Seng  of  C'hu-nang  respectfully  erects  this  tablet." 

This  is  not  the  only  tablet  of  the  kind  in  the  Foochow  Hospital,  for  many 
men  are  being  cured  there  in  soul  as  well  as  body,  and  they  are  very  grateful. 
They  go  away  to  tell  their  neighbors  how  they  have  been  healed,  and  what  they 
have  heard  of  a  God  who  loves  men,  and  of  a  Saviour  who  came  to  die  for  the 
people  of  all  lands. 


1 84 


The  Celestial  Empire. 


BUDDHIST    HERMITS. 

One  of  the  sad  sights  in  China  and  Japan  is  the  number  of  people  who  think 
to  lay  up  treasure  in  heaven  by  repeating  the  name  of  Buddha,  their  god. 
Many  of  the  Buddhist  priests  retire  to  caves  or  huts,  where  they  shut  themselves 
up  in  solitary  confinement.  The  place  is  sometimes  sealed  by  numerous  strips  of 

paper,  on  which  is  writ- 
ten the  day  when  the 
hermit  entered  upon  his 
lonely  life.  Only  a  lit- 
tle hole  is  left  in  the 
cell  through  which  food 
is  passed.  Here  the 
hermit  stays  for  years, 
keeping  a  taper  lighted 
before  his  shrine,  and 
repeating  prayers  until 
he  becomes  dull  and 
stupid.  The  merit  be- 
for  his  god,  which  he 
is  supposed  to  gain  by 
this  self-denying  pro- 
cess, it  is  thought  may 
be  made  over  to  an- 
other person,  and  so 
rich  men  who  do  not 
wish  to  endure  the  long 
confinement  hire  some 
one  to  do  it  for  them. 
In  the  cut  here  given, 
the  people  are  passing 
food  to  a  hermit.  It  is 
for  us  who  know  that 
God  is  not  pleased  with 
this  vain  service  to  tell 
men  who  crave  pardon 
and  peace  of  the  bless- 
ed Saviour  who  has  made  the  one  and  only  offering  necessary  for  sin. 


THE  CENTRAL  FLOWERY  KINGDOM. 


THIS  is  another  name  for  the  land  which  in  the  preceding  paper  was  called 
"  The  Celestial  Empire."  The  Chinese  are  so  proud  of  their  country  that  they 
choose  for  it  such  high-sounding  names  as  these.  While  we  smile  at  some 
ideas  they  have  about  their  nation,  as  if  it  were  the  center  of  all  the  earth,  we 
cannot  deny  that  in  many  respects  no  nation  can  be  compared  with  it.  In  pO|>- 
ulation  it  far  outnumbers  any  other  kingdom  of  earth,  having  probably  within 
its  area  not  far  from  one  quarter  of  the  human  race.  No  nation  can  trace  back 
its  history  so  far,  for  while  the  early  history  of  China  contains  much  that  is 
only  fable,  there  are  what  seem  to  be  genuine  records  of  the  nation  before  the 
time  when  Moses  led  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt.  Is  it  not  strange 
that  among  an  ancient 
people  like  the  Chi- 
nese, who  certainly 
have  had  time  enough 
to  make  inventions, 
and  who  are  notably 
skillful  in  copying  any 
invention  they  see, 
there  should  be  no 
carriages  that  one  can 
travel  in  with  com- 
fort ?  Wherever  it  is 
possible  to  do  so  the 
natives  gravel  in  boats 
on  rivers  or  canals, 
but  where  they  must  go  by  land,  sedan  chairs,  carried  by  men,  or  wheelbarrows 
are  used.  In  some  parts  of  the  Empire  a  much  larger  wheelbarrow  than  the 
one  here  represented  is  employed,  having  a  donkey  hitched  in  front,  and  long 
handles  behind,  by  which  the  man  keeps  the  balance  and  steers  the  vehicle, 
while  directly  over  the  wheel  a  mast  is  raised,  and  whenever  there  is  a  favora- 
ble wind  a  sail  is  stretched.  So  these  queer  carriages  go  sailing  over  the 
plains,  propelled  by  a  donkey  in  front,  a  sail  in  the  middle,  and  a  man  in  the 
rear.  In  the  picture  of  the  "  Beggar's  Bridge,"  on  the  next  page,  you  will  see 
some  Chinese  carts  which  are  used  about  Peking  as  hacks  are  used  here.  But 
they  are  without  springs,  and  an  Englishman  says  of  them  that  "  for  discomfort 
they  surpass  every  other  conveyance  of  the  kind  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the 
world  where  he  has  been."  These  are  the  carriages  in  which  our  missionaries 
do  most  of  their  touring. 


TRAVELING    BY  WHEELBARROW. 


'ii|ijiii!|i";i'.-.>v.    " 
-  "^: 


The  Central  Flowery  Kingdom. 


187 


The  engraving  opposite  represents  one  of  the  busiest  parts  of  Peking, 
giving  only  specimens  of  the  people  who  daily  assemble  here.  Aside  from  the 
carts  which  fill  the  roadway,  vendors  of  all  sorts  of  wares  move  up  and  down, 
crying  their  goods,  while  workmen,  such  as  cobblers  and  tinkers,  and  even  black- 
smiths, bring  their  movable  shops  and 
carry  on  their  trades  in  the  streets. 
Even  the  barbers  ply  their  calling  in  the 
midst  of  the  crowds.  Here  also  the  beg- 
gars congregate  and  there  are  so  many 
of  this  class  that  they  have  given  name 
to  the  bridge. 

A  little  more  than  twenty  years  ago  the 
American  Board  began  work  in  Peking, 
the  capital  of  the  Empire.  This  is  one 
of  the  largest  cities  of  the  world,  and  a 
score  of  missionaries  would  find  ample 
room  for  labor  within  its  walls.  It  is  a 
promising  field. 

Though  perhaps  the  Chinese  are  not 
CHINESE  SCHOOLBOYS.  as   quick    as    some   other  people  to  re- 

ceive the  truth,  many  of  them,  when  they  do  become  Christians,  seem  to  be 
specially  faithful  in  making  known  the  gospel.  Just  now  our  missionaries 
in  Northern  China  are  laboring  in  special  hope, 
believing  that  before  long  great  progress  will  be 
seen  in  that  land  which  a  few  years  ago  was  re- 
garded as  almost  beyond  hope. 

A   SELFISH    RELIGION. 

The  Chinese  are  not  without  a  religion ;  in- 
deed, like  the  Athenians  whom  Paul  saw,  they 
are  very  religious.  They  worship  all  sorts  of 
gods,  and  even  all  their  ancestors.  Lut  their 
only  object  in  this  seems  to  be  to  get  some 
present  good  for  themselves.  They  never  ask 
their  gods  to  make  them  pure  and  holy,  but 
merely  to  give  them  rain  or  keep  them  from 
bad  luck.  One  missionary  writes  that  fre- 
quently, after  he  has  preached  to  an  attentive 
audience,  he  has  been  asked  whether  the  Lord 
Jesus  would  give  them  rain  and  good  crops  if 
they  believed  in  and  worshipped  him.  When 
they  were  told  that  Jesus  would  give  them  what- 
ever he  saw  was  best  for  them,  but  that  possibly  he  might  not  send  them  rain, 
the  listeners  turned  away  and  did  not  care  to  hear  more.  They  could  see  no 
use  in  serving  a  God  who  would  not  promise  to  give  them  all  earthly  good.  The 
cut  here  given  shows  how  the  Chinese  pray  for  rain,  by  burning  joss-sticks  every- 
where. If  the  rain  is  long  delayed  they  burn  more  joss-sticks,  and  seek  by 


OF  JOSS-STICKS. 


i88 


The  Central  Flowery  Kingdom. 


gongs  and  fire-crackers  to  wake  up  the  sleeping  rain-god.  Once,  in  time  of 
great  drought,  a  long  procession,  headed  by  a  mandarin,  went  to  a  temple  and 
addressed  the  idol  thus  :  "  We  have  had  no  rain  for  eight  months.  We  are 
not  mocking  you  :  the  earth  is  parched  and  burnt  up  :  but  how  can  you  know 
it,  seated  in  your  cool  niche  in  the  temple."  After  this  the  people  tied  a  rope 


about  the  neck  of  the  idol  and  dragged  him  around  the  dry  fields  that  he  might 
see  the  need  of  rain,  and  be  stirred  up  to  do  his  duty !  What  a  sad  idea  these 
people  had  both  of  their  god  and  of  what  they  most  needed  !  The  religion  of 
Christ  teaches  us  not  to  seek  earthly  things  first,  and  that  we  are  not  to  worship 
God  only  when  we  can  get  something  from  him  for  ourselves.  We  are  to  serve 
him  because,  by  his  grace,  we  can  do  something  for  him.  The  gospel  seeks  to 
make  men  unselfish,  and  it  is  this  gospel  which  China  needs  in  place  of  its  self- 
ish religions. 


GIRLS  IN  CHINA. 


OUR  young  people  may  like  to  hear  about  the  real  condition  of  girls  in 
China  to-day.  Perhaps  they  suppose  that  the  old  heathenish  customs,  such  as 
binding  the  feet  of  girls,  and  of  mutilating  or  selling  them,  have  passed  away 
in  the  light  of  these  latter  days.  But  China  still  sits  in  great  darkness. 

A  few  years  ago  there  lived  near  Swatow  a  girl  of  thirteen  named  A  Na. 
Her  father  and  two  married  sisters  were  Christians,  while  her  mother  remained 
a  heathen.  One  sister  was  at  the  English  Presbyterian  Mission  School  "at 
Swatow.  She  was  taken  sick  there,  and  A  Na  was  sent  for  to  take  care  of  her. 
So  A  Na  came,  and  went  about  her  duties  with  a  pleasant,  cheerful  face,  though 
the  missionaries  soon  found  that  she  had  great  trials.  Her  mother  was  de- 
termined to  bind  her  feet,  as  nearly  all  the  women  in  the  village  where  she  lives 
have  the  little  misshapen  feet  produced  by  binding  them  tightly  in  early  life.  It 
is  a  torturing  process,  and  the  missionaries  and  Chinese  converts  set  their  faces 
against  it  as  unchristian.  Poor  A  Na  declared  that  she  would  not  submit  to  it, 
and  that  she  wished  to  follow  her  father  and  do  as  a  Christian  should.  How- 
ever, her  mother  consulted  a  fortune-teller,  and  he  fixed  upon  the  twenty-seventh 
day  of  the  i2th  moon  as  a  lucky  day  to  begin  the  binding.  At  that  time  she 
sent  for  A  Na,  who  refused  to  go.  The  mother  then  came  herself,  but  when  A 
Na  saw  her,  she  threw  herself  into  the  matron's  arms,  and  clung  to  her  till  she 
was  pulled  away  by  main  force.  Her  mother  dragged  her  down  stairs,  scolding 
and  raving  as  only  a  heathen  woman  can.  So  the  poor  child  was  carried  off? 
weeping  bitterly  as  she  went.  Her  last  words  to  her  sister  were,  "  My  heart  is 
fixed.  I  will  be  a  Christian,  and  will  not  have  my  feet  bound." 


Girls  in  CJiina. 


The  Peking  Gazette  of  March  i5th,  in  the  year  of  grace,  1881,  states  that  the 
Governor-General  of  Sze-chuen  asks  imperial  honors  for  a  girl  of  eighteen  who 
starved  herself  to  death,  after  the  burial  of  her  betrothed.  He  also  asks  hon- 
ors for  other  females  who  have  "  displayed  their  filial  piety  by  mutilating  them- 
selves.'' The  honors  were  granted. 

Miss  Safford,  of  Foochow,  writing  for  Woman's  Work  in  China,  says  that 
parents  do  now  sell  their  daughters  and  husbands  their  wives.  When  a  man 
sells  his  wife  the  sale  paper  is  stamped  by  the  woman  herself.  The  palm  of  her 

hand  is  smeared  with  ink, 
and  makes  on  the  paper 
a  full,  clear  mark  that  could 
not  be  obtained  without  her 
consent.  A  paper  thus  at- 
tested proves  that  the  wom- 
an was  not  stolen  from  her 
husband. 

This  cut,  borrowed  from 
that  very  interesting  vol- 
ume, Women  of  the  Orient, 
shows  what  a  misshapen 
thing  a  bound  foot  is. 
Think  of  a  little  girl  five  or 
six  years  of  age  having  her 
feet  so  bandaged  that  the 
instep  shall  be  broken  and 
the  toes  pressed  under  the 
sole  !  It  takes  six  or  eight 
years  to  finish  the  work,  and 
after  that  these  maimed 
girls  must  hobble  about 

A  BOUND  FOOT.  WITH  SUPPER.  aU   their   days   Qn   thdr  djs_ 

torted  and  weakened  limbs.     But  silly  as  the  custom  is,  no  one  wishes  to  be 
out  of  fashion. 


CAN    CHINESE   GIRLS    READ,  AND   WHAT   DO   THEY   READ  ? 

Chinese  books  for  women  are  mostly  stories  of  ancient  discreet  heroines,  or 
"  Rules  of  Propriety."  In  these  books  industry  and  reverence  for  parents  are 
commended,  but  so  is  suicide.  Devotion  to  a  husband's  memory  is  enjoined, 
and  widows  are  entreated  to  disfigure  themselves  by  cutting  off  their  ears  and 
noses,  rather  than  marry  a  second  time. 

As  to  the  number  who  read,  Miss  Safford  says  that  she  kept  for  some  months 
a  careful  written  record  of  all  the  women  who  could  read,  within  a  given  num- 
ber. Out  of  eight  hundred  there  were  only  eight  who  could  read  at  all.  Of 
the  eight  only  two  could  read  well,  and  of  the  two  the  best  reader  did  not  un- 
derstand the  meaning  of  the  classics,  though  she  knew  the  characters  very  well. 
Of  course  Chinese  girls  differ  in  capacity  as  other  girls  do,  but  their  standard 
of  education  has  left  them  as  a  whole  in  a  low  and  dull  mental  condition.  In 


Girls  in  China. 


191 


one  of  the  Methodist  mission  schools  the  girls  said  that  Moses  created  the 
world,  Adam  was  the  true  God,  and  Pilate  was  an  apostle.  On  the  other  hand 
Miss  Porter,  who  reports  this,  found  in  a  tour  through  villages  south  of  Pekin, 


A  FLOWER  CIRL  FROM  NORTH  CHINA 


a  girl  who  had  read  the  catechism  and  the  whole  New  Testament.  She  had 
asked  help  of  any  one  who  could  tell  her  the  characters,  and  studied  her  les- 
sons by  night,  after  the  family  had  retired  and  the  house  was  quiet.  She  had 
read  the  New  Testament  till  she  had  become  familiar  with  it,  and  above  all  had 


192 


Girls  in  China. 


learned  to  love  it  and  to  treasure  special  portions.  "  She  came  to  my  room 
alone  one  night,  and  read  passage  after  passage,  giving  with  each  selection  some 
reason  why  she  enjoyed  it.  Her  eyes  rilled  while  reading  of  the  crucifixion,  and 
she  soon  stopped,  saying  she  could  not  read  that  without  crying.  Such  prog- 
ress on  the  part  of  the  few,"  says  Miss  Porter,  "  strengthened  hope  for  all  and 
enlarged  our  vision  of  the  whole  work  among  women." 

WHAT    IS    THE    DAILY    LIFE    OF   GIRLS    IN    CHINA  ? 

Girls  of  the  better  classes  are  not  expected  to  go  beyond  the  doorway  after 
they  are  ten  years  old.  One  lady  is  held  up  as  a  model  because  she  never 
even  went  near  a  window  to  look  out.  This  custom  is  now  observed  to  some 
extent  in  Foochow.  The  little  daughters  of  wealthy  families  who  used  to  visit 
Miss  Safford,  come  no  longer,  nor  do  they  play  around  their  front  doors.  She 
inquired  for  them  and  was  told,  "  They  are  too  old  to  go  out  now,  it  is  not 
proper."  "  I  was  not  allowed  to  go  to  the  front  door  during  my  husband's  life- 
time," said  a  mandarin's  widow. 

The  amusements  of  the  wealthier  women  consist  chiefly  of  smoking,  gos- 
siping, card-playing,  and  fancy  work,  while  some  few  use  musical  instruments. 
They  make  occasional  visits  to  female  relatives.  Perhaps  an  afternoon  jaunt  is 
allowed  once  in  a  great  while  to  some  pleasure  garden.  Of  course,  they  can- 
not walk  thither  with  their  deformed  and  weakened  feet ;  they  must  ride  in  the 
palanquin,  which  has  the  merit  of  screening  them  from  sight.  Shall  we  not 
come  to  the  rescue  of  these  poor  souls  without  God  and  without  hope  ? 


CHINESE  PALANQUIN  AND  BEARERS. 


THE  IDOL  OF  FLESH. 


BY    MISS   ADA    HAVEN,    OF    PEKING,  'CHINA. 


Nor  such  an  idol  as  is  to  be  found  enshrined  in  many  homes  in  America — an 
idol  guarded  by  adoring  papa  and  mamma.  The  father  and  mother  of  this 
idol  have  lain  under  their  little  cone-shaped  mounds  in  the  wheat  fields  for  a 
century  and  a  half;  they  are  now 
gone  and  forgotten,  but  their  little 
daughter,  the  "  Idol  of  Flesh," 
is  still  remembered  and  wor- 
shiped :  not  as  we  worship  our 
heart-idols,  with  kisses  morning 
and  evening,  and  little  thoughtful 
acts  of  service  all  the  way  be- 
tween. No  one  ever  kisses  the 
little  flesh-idol.  Another  strange 
thing  is,  she  has  no  flesh  at  all, 
only  bones  and  a  gilded  mask. 
I  will  tell  you  what  I  know  about 
her  and  how  I  made  her  acquaint- 
ance. 

We  had  been  resting  over  Sun- 
day on  our  trip  to  the  Great  Wall 
of  China,  my  friend  from  Swatow 
and  I.  We  had  been  watching 
the  sun  set  over  the  hills,  and 
seeing  the  purple  shadows  creep 
over  the  plain  ;  and  when  Peking 
in  the  distance,  and  the  watch- 
towers  and  temples  near  at  hand, 
began  to  melt  into  the  twilight, 
we  called  to  our  attendant  to 
bring  in  our  benches  and  wraps.  He  took  the  great  bundle  in  his  arms ;  but  be- 
fore reaching  our  room,  he  put  it  down,  and  pointing  to  the  main  door  of  the 
temple  asked,  "Have  you  been  in  there?"  No,  we  had  not.  The  temple  at 
\vhich  we  were  stopping  seemed  so  small  and  insignificant,  that  we  had  not 
thought  it  worth  while  to  trouble  the  idols  of  the  place  by  a  visit.  But  now 
following  the  man,  we  entered. 


CHINESE    IDOL  WORSHIPERS. 


194  The  Idol  of  Flesh. 

A  star  of  light  on  the  table  showed  where  an  incense-stick  had  just  been 
kindled,  in  honor  of  the  god  behind  the  table.  We  could  just  trace  the  outline 
of  the  great  idol,  a  glimmering,  uncertain  mass,  only  partly  revealed  in  the  gath- 
ering twilight.  By  this  time  the  old  priest  had  joined  us.  He  led  to  the 
next  shrine  at  the  right.  "Here,"  he  said,  "is  the  Idol  of  Flesh."  "It  isn't 
made  of  clay,  it 's  a  real  person,"  added  another,  under  his  breath.  One's  first 
impulse  was  to  start  back  on  hearing  this.  It  seemed  so  dreadful  for  a  human 
being  to  be  sitting  there  alone  in  the  gloom,  with  the  great  idols  looming  up 
all  about.  "  How  long  has  he  been  sitting  there?"  I  asked,  with  bated  breath. 
"Over  two  hundred  years,"  was  the  answer.  One  might  think  in  that  space 
of  time  a  person  would  become  used  to  the  horrors  of  the  place,  so  we  would 
waste  no  pity,  but  march  boldly  up  and  investigate  the  idol  of  flesh. 

It  was  a  sight  to  puzzle  one's  eyes.  I  thought  I  could  discern  through 
the  darkness  the  outline  of  a  broad  mummied  face,  with  bits  of  tinsel-paper 
fringes  pasted  over  it.  We  could  just  discern  the  gleam  of  the  gold  by  the 
twilight  from  the  open  door.  By  the  light  of  a  candle  the  blackened  face 
turned  out  to  be  a  highly  ornamented  gold  cap.  The  head  was  bent  forward 
so  that  the  face  was  hidden.  We  stooped  to  see  the  face,  and  the  candle-light 
showed,  not  a  blackened,  wizened  face,  nor  a  skeleton,  but  the  small  rounded 
features  of  a  child,  shining  with  gold.  We  called  the  old  priest  and  plied  him 
with  questions. 

"Now  tell  us  why  you  call  this  a  flesh-idol.  It  has  a  gilded  face  just  like 
any  other  idol." 

"  We  call  it  a  flesh-idol  because  it  is  a  real  person."  And  then  he  went  on  to 
tell  the  story.  Over  two  hundred  years  ago  a  little  girl  came  here  with  her 
father.  While  he  prayed  she  watched  the  little  Buddha  sitting  cross-legged  in 
his  shrine.  By  and  by  she  disturbed  her  father's  devotions  by  saying,  "I  want 
to  sit  up  there  where  he  is,  and  be  a  god,  too."  Her  father,  of  course,  said 
"No,"  whereat,  just  like  some  children  in  America,  she  fell  on  the  floor  and 
began  to  cry  and  scream.  She  made  such  a  disturbance  that  the  priest  came 
running  in  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  When  he  heard  what  the  child  wished, 
he  said  she  ought  to  have  her  way.  So  removing  the  idol  to  a  neighboring 
shrine,  she  was  placed  on  the  table.  She  seated  herself  in  the  proper  position, 
with  legs  crossed  and  folded  hands,  and  there  remained,  neither  eating  nor 
drinking.  When  the  flesh  all  fell  away,  they  made  her  this  mask  of  gold  to  cover 
her  empty  eye-sockets  and  bony  cheeks  lest  people  should  be  afraid  of  her. 
And  now  many  wonderful  cures  are  wrought  by  her,  as  we  can  see  by  the  number 
of  little  shoes  all  about  the  shrine,  and  the  silk  dresses  they  bring  for  her. 
She  wears  them  all,  one  over  another. 

Every  year,  in  the  fourth  month,  on  the  anniversary  of  her  coming  here,  all 
her  family  come  and  prostrate  themselves  before  her  shrine,  and  burn  incense  to 
her ;  for  her  family  are  still  living  in  the  adjoining  village. 

"  But  why  is  her  head  bent  down  so  that  we  have  to  stoop  to  see  her  face?  " 

"  She  is  bent  with  the  weight  of  years." 

"  But  I  thought  she  was  only  seven  years  old  !  " 

"  She  was  seven  when  she  first  came,  but  she  has  been  here  two  hundred  years." 


The  Idol  of  Flesh. 


195 


We  put  the  question  in  other  forms,  but  he  was  persistent  in  using  the 
present  tense  in  speaking  of  her,  as  was  the  little  maid  who  would  have  her 
way,  and  say  "we  are  seven." 

I  have  told  you  the  story  as  I  heard  it,  not  as   I  believe  it.     I  think  it  much 


196 


The  Idol  of  Flesh. 


more  probable  that  if  the  child  cried,  it  was  because  she  did  not  want  to  be  put 
there,  not  because  she  wished  it.  And  I  think  it  more  likely  still  that  she  was 
put  there  after  death.  But  it  is  useless  asking  any  questions.  The  lips  of  the 
old  priest  are  accustomed  to  lying ;  and  it  is  vain  to  expect  an  answer  from  the 
mute  golden  lips  of  the  little  flesh-idol.  So  it  must  remain  a  mystery. 


CHINESE   WHEELBARROW   CARRIAGE. 


While  thinking  over  in  our  minds  what  was  the  probable  truth  of  the  matter, 
•we  went  to  see  the  occupants  of  the  other  shrines.  There  was  quite  a  crowd  of 
idols  for  one  small  room,  and  it  appeared  like  an  overstocked  toy-shop.  How 
that  little  girl  would  have  liked  it  if  she  could  have  had  them  all  to  play  with  ! 
Returning  to  take  a  last  look  at  her,  she  was  motionless  as  ever. 

So  going  out  and  shutting  the  door,  we  left  her  in  the  darkness,  but  for  the 
tiny  spark  of  an  incense-stick,  and  in  the  solitude,  but  for  the  neighborhood  of 
her  strange  companions. 


CHINESE  CHILDREN. 


BY    MRS.    EMMA    D.    SMITH,    OF    PANG-CHUAXG,    SHANTUNG,    NORTH    CHINA. 


Do  you  ever  wonder  what  a  Chinese  day-school  is  like  ?  Supposing  we  skip 
over  to  the  west  end  of  this  village,  and  take  a  peep  at  the  boys'  school.  The 
village  lends  us  its  schoolhouse,  and  we  missionaries  furnish  a  good  Christian 
teacher,  and  they  study  Christian  books  for  part  of  the  time. 


THE    AN-TING    GATE,   PEKING. 


As  we  go  up  the  front  steps,  what  is  all  this  fearful  racket?  Do  you  feel  a 
little  delicate  about  going  in  lest  you  should  intrude  on  a  quarrel  of  some  sort? 
O,  but  you  need  n't !  The  little  boys  in  our  school  are  not  tearing  each 
others'  hair,  nor  scratching  each  others'  eyes  out,  nor  knocking  each  other  down  j 


I9#  Chinese  Children. 

not  a  bit  of  it !  They  are  just  doing  what  every  good  little  scholar  in  China  is 
expected  to  do;  that  is,  every  mother's  son  of  them  is  studying  his  lesson  over 
out  loud.  By  out  loud  I  mean  in  a  perfect  roar. 

As  they  do  this  nearly  all  day  long,  a  good  many  of  them  quite  ruin  their 
voices.  When  you  hear  them  trying  to  sing  together  it  reminds  you  of  that 
other  little  frog-class  which  sings  every  evening  out  on  the  village  moat,  the  last 
thing  before  popping  in  for  the  night.  You  think  little  scholars  who  have  to 
work  like  that  must  be  sorry  when  they  hear  the  nine-o'clock  bell  and  glad  when 
it  creeps  around  to  four  in  the  afternoon?  But  there  you  've  made  another  big 
mistake.  O,  lively  American  chicks,  who  wriggle  and  squirm  in  Sunday- 
school  and  day-school,  and  hate  being  caged  up  anywhere  as  badly  as  the  wild 
birds  do,  what  would  you  say  if  you  had  to  go  to  school  with  the  first  streak  of 
daylight,  and  if  school  kept  till  dark  !  If  the  Chinese  scholars  ease  up  life 
somewhat  by  not  studying  hard  all  the  time,  who  can  blame  them? 

But  if  you  think  our  little  long-queued  friends  don't  know  much,  we  will 
set  them  to  reciting,  and  I  suspect  you  '11  be  amazed  to  hear  even  the  wee  ones 
reel  off  chapter  after  chapter  and  book  after  book.  One  Peking  scholar  recited 
the  whole  of  the  New  Testament  at  a  single  examination  !  The  Chinese  have 
fine  memories,  and  are  always  cultivating  them  and  proud  of  them.  But  the 
scholars  are  often  brought  up  mt  to  care  a  fig  what  it  all  means,  so  their  little 
brains  are  only  well-stored  lumber-rooms. 

It  is  very  hard  work  to  get  "Why?"  and  "How?"  into  a  Chinese  school. 
The  boys  don't  know  why  a  thing  is  so,  or  haw  it  is  so,  and  they  don't  care  and, 
what  is  worse,  the  native  teacher  don't  want  them  to  care.  Why  should  he? 
His  life  is  hard  enough,  at  best,  and  the  "  How?  "  and  "  Why?"  laddies  are  a 
deal  more  trouble  to  live  with,  and  take  care  of,  as  every  American  mamma  will 
bt.ar  cheerful  and  ready  testimony.  It  has  occurred  to  the  writer  that  to  secure 
the  ideal  boy  it  would  only  be  necessary  to  take  a  little  Interrogation  Point  (of 
course,  you  know  I  mean  an  American  boy),  and  then  a  little  Chinese  boy,  just 
as  big  and  just  as  old,  and  roll  them  all  up  in  a  ball,  when  presto  !  out  would  come 
the  loveliest  little  fellow  that  ever  wore  a  cap,  asking  just  questions  enough  and 
never  one  too  many  ! 

At  the  other  end  of  the  village  where  we  live  are  the  little  girl  scholars  — 
bless  their  dear  little  pinched-up,  aching  toes  and  their  long  shining  braids  and 
bright  eyes  !  You  could  iove  them  without  half  trying.  A  little  maiden,  not  a 
thousand  miles  from  here,  had  them  all  at  her  birthday  party  a  while  ago.  They 
played  "•  Drop  the  handkerchief,"  just  as  you  do,  only  they  use  their  belts  and 
call  it  "  Drop  the  girdle."  They  also  played  "  Blind  man's  buff,"  after  your 
fashion,  finding  it  rather  hard  to  catch  their  little  American  hostess,  with  her  free 
dancing  feet.  Then  we  all  sat  down  on  the  floor  and  played  a  game  of  jack- 
stones.  Think  of  their  knowing  that  too.  Isn't  it  droll?  Their  game  is  a 
little  different  from  yours.  They  call  it  "  Bah  Bah."  Fancy  the  clever  little 
witches  putting  "  Sally  over  the  log,"  "Sally  over  the  fence,"  "  beans  in  the  pot," 
''horses  in  the  stable,"  "riding  the  elephant,"  "  setting  the  table,"  and  coming 
out  triumphant  on  the  "  double  fives,"  having  beaten  us  soundly. 

And  the  children's  names !  Fancy  calling  children  "  Little  Dog,"  "  Little 
Basket,"  "  Little  Fatty,"  "  Little  Black  One,"  "  Little  Idiot,"  "  Little  Slave  Girl"  ! 


Chinese  Children. 


199 


200 


Chinese  Children. 


You  know  about  the  old  lady  who  exhausted  herself  to  think  of  a  name  for  a 
little  boy  she  had  on  her  hands,  and  who  finally  gave  it  up  and  "just  called  him 
Jim  Polk  and  let  him  run."  The  father  and  mother  of  one  little  boy  here  just 
called  him  "  Doughnut,"  and  let  him  run.  He  wanted  very  much  to  come  to 
school,  but  it  would  n't  be  Chinese  for  him  to  tease  his  papa  and 
mamma  (just  hear  what  a  sigh  your  mamma  gave  when  she  read  that  sentence  ! } , 
so  he  sent  a  grown-up  friend  to  plead  his  cause  with  his  parents,  and  he  was  allowed 
to  come.  Dear  little  fellow  !  Though  the  bright  eyes  of  the  other  boys  can't 
see  it,  a  dark,  threatening  cloud  hangs  over  his  head,  and  we  look  at  him  with 


CHINESE  CANAL.  AND    BRIDGE. 

a  wistful  yearning,  for  our  missionary  doctor  says  he  has  a  fatal  disease  and  will 
have  only  a  short  time  for  earthly  teaching.  Dear  children  with  sweet  Christian 
mammas,  will  you  pray  for  poor  little  Doughnut?  Though  his  grandmother  i; 
a  Christian,  his  mamma  doesn't  love  Jesus  at  all,  and  how  can  she  comfort  his 
little  heart,  going  down  into  the  deep  valley  !  Pray  that  the  dear  Shepherd 
may  lead  him  along  so  gently  that,  before  he  shall  have  found  out  that  the  road 
is  hard  and  steep,  he  will  find  himself  inside  the  heavenly  fold  in  the 
Shepherd's  own  blessed  arms.  One  thing  more.  Ask  God  to  take  all  these 
bonny  boys  and  girls  of  ours  and  make  them,  by  and  by,  into  teachers,  preach- 
ers, and  Bible-women,  who  shall  do  noble  work  for  Him. 


STORIES  FROM  CHINA. 


A  GREAT  DEAL  has  been  said  about  the  honor  paid  to  parents  among  the  Chi- 
nese. Reverence  for  one's  ancestors  is  regarded  as  the  chief  virtue,  and  every 
eSort  is  made  to  teach  the  children  this  duty.  In  every  home  there  is  set  upon 
the  wall  a  tablet  on  which  are  written  the  names  of  the  ancestors  of  the  family 
for  four  or  five  generations  back,  and  before  this  tablet  prayers  are  said  and 
offerings  are  made  by  the  children,  as  well  as  by  other  members  of  the  house- 
hold. Thus  early  taught  to  honor  those  who  have  gone  before  them,  the  young 
grow  up  with  the  thought  that  their  first  duty  is  to  their  parents. 

Even  the  government  seeks  in  every  way  to  encourage  the  practice  of  this 


GROUP  OF  CHINESE   CHILDREN. 

virtue.  Any  special  instances  of  filial  piety  are  reported  to  the  Emperor,  and 
often  petitions  are  forwarded  to  him  asking  him  to  make  public  mention  of  such 
cases  as  are  known  to  the  petitioners,  for  the  encouragement  of  others  in  the 
practice  of  this  virtue. 

A  missionary  in  China  wrote  quite  recently  that  the  official  newspaper  of  the 
Empire,  The  Peking  Gazette,  told  the  following  story  as  if  it  were  true.  Per- 
haps the  officials  reasoned  that  to  commend  so  excellent  a  virtue  as  filial  piety, 


202 


Stories  from  China. 


it  was  right  to  tell  a  falsehood.  The  story  was  that  a  certain  young  woman  in 
Se  Ts'wan,  loved  her  father  so  much  that  when  he  was  sick  she  made  a  broth 
from  her  own  liver,  and  gave  it  him  for  his  cure.  And  this  official  paper,  after 
saying  that  the  operation  was  not  painful,  gravely  added  that  the  filial  devotion 
of  the  young  woman  was  rewarded  by  the  rapid  healing  of  the  wound,  and  that 
the  Emperor  had  deigned  to  make  public  mention  of  this  illustrious  exhibition 
of  filial  piety.  Reports  of  similar  cases  of  devotion  to  parents  often  appear  in 
this  government  newspaper. 

An  English  missionary,  Rev.  A.  E.  Moule,  has  prepared  a  little  volume  of 
Chinese  Stories,  which  he  says  he  has  taken  from  a  book  that  is  very  popular 
in  China.  The  Chinese  book  contains  one  hundred  and  two  stories,  with  a 
picture  designed  to  illustrate  each  tale.  Every  one  of  these  stories  is  written 

to  commend  the  practice  of  either 
filial  or  fraternal  duties.  But  it  will 
be  seen  from  those  we  here  give, 
that  they  quite  overdo  the  matter, 
just  as  it  is  overdone  in  the  story 
given  above.  People  are  not  to  be 
made  good  by  telling  them  impos- 
sible stories  of  somebody's  good- 
ness. 

Here  are  five  or  six  of  these 
stones  from  Mr.  Moule's  book,  with 
an  exact  copy  of  some  of  the  illus- 
trations which  accompany  them  in 
the  Chinese  book,  from  which  Mr. 
Moule  took  them. 

PLAYING  HE  WAS  A  CHILD. 

In  the  Chow  Dynasty  (about 
three  thousand  years  ago)  there  was 
a  man  named  Laou  Lai-tsze.  When 
he  was  seventy  years  of  age  he  used 
to  put  oh  bright  and  many  colored 
clothes  ;  and  then  he  would  play 
about  like  a  child.  Sometimes  he 
would  carry  water  into  the  hall,  and 
pretend  to  stumble,  and  fall  flat  on 
the  ground.  Then  he  would  cry  and 

run  up  to  his  parents'  side  to  please  the  old  people,  and  all  to  make  them  forget, 

for  a  time  at  least,  their  own  great  age. 

WEEPING   OVER   HIS    MOTHER'S   WEAKNESS. 

There  was  once  a  man  named  Han.  When  he  was  a  boy  he  misbehaved 
himself  very  often,  and  his  mother  used  to  beat  him  with  a  bamboo  rod.  One 
day  he  cried  after  the  beating,  and  his  mother  was  greatly  surprised,  and 
said  :  — 

"  I  have  beaten  you  many  a  time,  and  you  have  never  cried  before  ;  why  do 
you  cry  to-day  ? " 


PLAYING    BEFORE   HIS   PARENTS. 


Stories  from  China. 


203 


"  Oh,  mother,"  he  replied,  "  you  used  to  hurt  me  when  you  flogged  me  :  but 
now  I  weep  because  you  are  not  strong  enough  to  hurt  me." 

"  It  makes  one  weep,"  says  the  Chinese  moralist,  "even  to  read  the  story." 

DUTIFUL    LEE. 

A  man  named  L^e  was  very  dutiful  to  his  mother.     She  was  naturally  a  very 
nervous  woman,  and  always  dreadfully  frightened  in  a  thunder-storm. 

When  she  died,  Lee  buried  his  mother  in  a  wood ;  and  whenever  the  wind 
arose  and  a  tempest  threatened,  he 
ran  to  the  tomb,  knelt  down,   and, 
with  tears,  cried  out,  — 

"  Lee  is  near  you ;  don't  be  afraid, 
mother." 

WOO-MAXG. 

There  was  a  boy  once  named  Woo- 
mang.  or  "Brave  and  Talkative.'' 
When  only  eight  years  old  he  was 
very  dutiful  to  his  parents. 

They  were  very  poor,  and  could 
not  afford  even  mosquito-curtains 
for  their  bed  in  the  summer,  so  their 
little  boy  used  to  get  into  his  parents' 
bed  early  in  the  evening,  and  let  the 
mosquitoes  do  their  worst  at  biting 
him  for  an  hour  or  two  ;  and  then, 
when  they  were  surfeited  with  his 
blood,  and  fatigued  with  their  ven- 
omous exertions,  he  got  out,  and 


called    to 
pecce. 


his   parents   to   sleep 


MOTHER    BEFORE    FRIEND. 

About  eighteen  hundred  years  ago 
there  was  a  man  named  Mao,  who 
entertained  a  friend,  one  Koh,  and  DUTIFUL  LEE  AT  HIS  MOTHER-S  TOMB. 
kept  him  to  spend  the  night.  Early  on  the  following  morning  Mao  killed  a  fowl 
for  breakfast,  and  Mr.  Koh  flattered  himself  that  it  was  for  him.  But  no  !  it 
was  for  Mao's  old  mother ;  and  Mao  and  Koh  sat  down  to  nothing  but  greens 
and  rice.  When  Koh  saw  this,  he  rose  up  from  the  table,  bowed  low  to  Mao, 
and  said,  — 

"  Well  done,  illustrious  man  ! " 

There  is  plenty  of  cordiality  amongst  friends  in  this  world,  but  too  much 
neglect  of  parents.  This  example  of  old  Mao's  teaches  us  the  right  order  of 
duties. 

"YOUNG  LAUDABLE." 

There  was  once  a  little  boy  named  Loh  Tsih,  or  "  Laudable  Highland." 
When  he  was  six  years  old,  in  the  city  of  Kew-Kiang  he  met  a  gentleman 
named  Ze,   who  gave  him  two  oranges,      Young  "  Laudable "  popped  them 
into  his  bosom  and  then,  remembering  himself,  he  turned  round  and  bowed 


204 


Stories  from  Chit 


his  thanks.  But  as  he  bowed  the  oranges  rolled  out  on  to  the  ground.  Ze  ex- 
claimed :  — 

"  Here  's  a  pretty  young  visitor,  to  hide  his  oranges  and  carry  them  off  with- 
out eating  them  !  What  does  this  mean  ?  " 

"  Laudable  "  knelt  down  before  the  great  gentleman  and  said  :  — 

"  My  mother  is  particularly  fond  of  oranges,  and  I  wish  to  keep  them  for 
her." 

Ze  was  greatly  astonished,  and  let  him  go. 


Now  are  not  these  odd  stories  ?    The  others  are  much  like  them,  and  all  have 
the  same  moral.     It  certainly  is  a  good  moral,  and  perhaps  the  Chinese  boys 

and  girls  are  made  more  thought- 
ful about  their  parents  because 
of  these  multiplied  stories  of 
good  children.  But  children 
can  be  good  and  honor  their 
parents  most  truly  without  doing 
the  strange  and  often  wicked 
things  which  the  Chinese  com- 
mend. 

With  almost  no  exceptions 
these  stories  are  about  dutiful 
boys.  This  shows  how  little  is 
thought  of  girls  in  China.  The 
birth  of  a  boy  in  that  land  is  an 
occasion  of  great  rejoicing  ;  but 
when  a  girl  is  born,  the  best 
thing  that  friends  say  is,  "  Well  ! 
girls  are  of  some  use  !  " 

I  am  sure  that  if  in  America 
one  were  to  tell  a  hundred 
stories  of  children  who  had 
been  specially  dutiful  to  their 
parents,  a  great  many  of  them 
would  be  about  girls.  It  is  not 
that  the  Chinese  think  that  boys 
need  more  instruction  on  this 
point  than  do  girls,  but  simply 
because  in  their  view  boys  are 
the  only  children  of  importance.  Though  in  the  cities  and  villages  there  are 
plenty  of  schools  for  boys,  there  is  not  in  all  China  a  school  for  girls,  except 
those  established  by  the  Christian  missionaries.  To  be  sure  girls  are  sometimes 
taught  to  read,  but  they  never  go  to  school  with  their  brothers.  While  the  mis- 
sionaries need  not  say  much  to  the  Chinese  about  the  duty  of  honoring  parents, 
they  do  need  to  say  much  to  parents  about  caring  for  their  children,  and  es- 
pecially for  their  girls.  There  are  pitiful  stories  told  of  the  way  in  which  Chi- 
nese parents,  who  claim  so  much  honor  from  their  children,  often  abuse,  and 
sell,  and  even  slay  their  daughters. 


A   CHINESE    SCHOOL-IVOOM. 


MORE  CHINESE  STORIES. 


BY    REV.    HENRY   P.    PERKINS,   TIENTSIN,    CHINA. 


I  WONDER  whether  any  of  the  boys  and  girls  in  America  would  like  to  know 
about  some  of  the  stories  the  Chinese  boys  and  girls  read  in  their  story-books  ; 
that  is,  if  they  can  read  at  all.  Most  of  them,  however,  cannot  read ;  so  they 
have  to  remember  the  stories  from  hearing  other  people  tell  them.  But  they 
hear  them  told  so  often  that  they  come  to  remember  a  great  many,  and  I  sup- 
pose the  children  about  here  could  tell  you  not  only  those  given  below,  but  a 
great  many  more  like  them,  and  quite  as  good.  The  stories  which  I  am  going 


ENTERTAINING   HIS  AGED  PARENTS. 

to  give  you  are  all  of  the  same  general  character  as  those  given  in  the  preced- 
ing article,  as  you  will  notice ;  that  is,  they  are  about  children  who  were  very 
devoted  to  their  parents.  They  not  merely  obeyed  them,  but,  as  you  will  see, 
thought  of  various  ways  to  please  them.  I  dare  not  say  that  any  of  these  stories 
are  true,  and  I  feel  certain  that  at  least  two  of  them  are  not ;  but  not  many  of 
the  Chinese  children  would  think  so,  you  may  be  sure,  and  you  must  judge  for 
yourselves.  The  illustrations  are  copied  directly  from  the  Chinese  book. 


206 


Chinese  Stories. 


The  first  picture  is  about  a  man  who  really  lived  long  ago  in  China,  but 
whether  he  really  did  what  he  is  represented  as  doing  in  the  picture,  I  cannot 
say.  This  man  lived  at  the  time  David  did,  and  you  surely  know  when  that  was. 
He  was  a  philosopher,  too,  and  founded  the  Taoist  sect.  The  man  who  is  roll- 
ing on  the  floor,  in  the  picture,  is  the  man  I  am  telling  about.  What  has 
happened  to  him  !  Is  he  being  stung  to  death  by  bees  ?  Nothing  of  the  kind. 
Do  you  not  see  how  pleased  the  other  two  are  at  what  he  is  doing  ?  These  are 
his  parents,  now  very  old ;  for  Mr.  Tao  on  the  floor  is  himself  seventy  years  old. 
And  he  is  doing  all  this  just  to  please  his  father  and  mother,  who  are  so  old  that 
nothing  else  will  please  them.  So  he  talks  like  a  baby,  puts  on  clothes  of  "  five 
colors  and  all  spotted  and  figured,"  gets  his  playthings  and  tumbles  about  on  the 
floor,  as  though  he  were  only  seventy  days  old,  instead  of  seventy  years.  Could 
anybody  be  more  filial  ?  You  would  say  not ;  but  I  think  you  will  change  your 
mind  when  you  know  about  the  boy  in  the  next  picture. 


CATCHING    FISHES   THROUGH   THE   ICE. 

While  he  was  still  very  young,  this  boy's  mother  died,  and  his  next  mother, 
his  step-mother,  disliked  him,  —  a  sadly  frequent  experience  of  Chinese  boys,  — 
and  she  would  often  make  up  stories  about  him  and  accuse  him  before  his  father, 
so  that  his  father  also  came  to  hate  him.  But  one  day,  all  at  once,  this  step- 
mother fell  very  sick,  and  could  eat  nothing  but  a  certain  kind  of  fish,  and  the 
more  she  thought  about  it  the  more  she  wanted  that  fish.  But  it  was  winter,  and 
the  pond  was  frozen  over ;  but  what  did  this  boy  do  but  go  to  the  pond,  take  off 
his  clothes,  and  lie  down  on  the  ice,  and  soon  the  ice  was  thawed  clear  through, 
when  the  carp,  just  the  kind  his  mother  wanted,  came  "  twos  and  twos  jumping 
up."  Then  he  takes  them,  returns  home,  and  gives  them  to  the  undeserving 
step-mother,  "  all  the  village  people  wondering  that  his  piety  prevailed  so  much." 


Chinese  Stories. 


207 


Had  he  taken  a  hatchet  and  chopped  a  hole  through  the  ice,  as  you  say  you 
would  have  done,  the  fish  never  would  have  come  near.  It  was  the  boy's 
devotion  that  led  the  fishes  to  devote  themselves,  showing  the  great  influence  of 
a  good  example. 

In  the  third  picture  a  boy  is  pulling  up  bamboo  shoots.  Nothing  very  remark- 
able about  that  until  you  know  how  they  came  to  grow.  For  it  is  not  the  season 
at  all  for  them,  but  this  boy  made  them  grow  by  weeping  many  days  over  them 
—  a  very  improbable  thing,  it  seems  to  me  ;  but  the  story  says  :  "  His  tears  so 
moved  heaven  and  earth,  that  the  earth  at  last  cracked  open  and  up  canfe  the 
shoots,  which  he  pulls  up  and  carries  home  to  his  mother,  who  has  been  sick  now 
many  a  day,  and  who  had  long  been  wanting  to  taste  just  this  thing.  She  began 
to  get  well  as  soon  as  she  ate  of  them." 


BAMBOO   SHOOTS   WATERED    BY   TEARS. 

The  picture  on  the  next  page  is  about  a  man  more  devoted,  you  will  see,  than 
any  of  the  others.  He  lived  two  thousand  years  ago,  and  his  name  is  given,  as  are 
the  names  of  all  the  others.  His  family  was  very  poor.  He  had  a  child  three  years 
old,  and  an  old  mother  who  lived  with  them,  and  even-  day  she  stinted  herself 
that  the  others  might  have  food.  One  day  Mr.  Chin  said  to  his  wife  :  "  We  are 
very  poor.  We  cannot  support  this  mother  and  ourselves.  Had  n't  we  better 
bury  the  child?  For  we  may  have  another  child  sometime,  but  cannot  have 
another  mother."  The  wife  dared  not  say  no,  and  they  had  scooped  out  three 
feet  of  earth  when  they  came  upon  a  peck  of  yellow  gold  with  this  inscription 
upon  it :  "  Heaven  gives  yellow  gold  to  the  filial  son." 

There  are,  in  the  book  from  which  I  have  taken  these  stories,  many  others  all 
about  this  same  virtue.  A  great  deal  is  said  about  brotherly  kindness,  and  there 
is  a  Chinese  proverb  that  "  to  go  on  a  pilgrimage,  to  offer  incense  in  a  distant 


208 


Chinese  Proverbs. 


temple,  is  not  so  good  as  showing  kindness  at  home."  But  comparatively  little 
is  made  of  the  duties  of  parents  to  children,  but  much  of  the  duties  of  children 
to  parents.  Perhaps  there  is  nothing  that  the  Chinese  children  are  taught  to 
esteem  more  highly  than  this  filial  piety.  And  so,  when  we  preach  to  them, 
it  is  well  to  tell  them  often  about  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  that  he  wants 
us  to  try  to  please  and  honor  him ;  to  tell  them  that,  while  they  say  so  much 
about  "  forgetting  the  foundation,"  meaning  filial  affection,  they  are  all  the  time 
forgetting  the  great  foundation,  that  is,  their  obligation  to  the  real  cause  of  their 
life.  ^lay  the  time  soon  come  when  they  shall  really  believe  in  and  daily  serve 
the  God  who  gives  them  their  life. 


THE   POT   OF   GOLD. 


CHINESE   PROVERBS. 

[From  Rev.  A.  E.  Moule's  volume  of  "  Chinese  Stories."] 

1.  If  you  build  your  house  by  hard  dealing,  the  gain  won't  last  long. 

2.  Think  of  your  own  faults  the  first  part  of  the  night  (when  you  are  awake), 
and  of  the  faults  of  others  the  latter  part  of  the  night  (when  you  are  asleep). 

3.  If  you  wish  your  children's  good,  always  let  them  be  three  parts  out  of 
ten  hungry  and  cold. 

4.  Clear  and  plain  is  the  road  to  heaven,  but  the  multitude  are  unwilling   to 
keep  it. 

5.  The  recompense  for  the  good  and  for  the  bad  is  like  the  shadow  following 
the  form. 

6.  You  may  offer  clay  loaves  to  Buddha  (if  only  you  first  bribe  the  priest). 

7.  High  heaven  is  not  high  ;  man's  heart  is  ever  higher. 


PUNISHMENTS  IN  CHINA. 


ALMOST  everything  about  China  is  interesting  to  us  in  this  Western  world,  for 
it  is  quite  another  world  from  ours.  The  "  Celestials,"  as  they  call  themselves,  are 
in  most  of  their  habits  and  customs  directly  the  opposite  of  Europeans  and 
Americans,  and  their  doings  and  sayings  seem  to  us  very  amusing.  But  they  are 
a  sober,  staid  people,  clinging  to  their  customs  and  beliefs  very  closely.  Yet, 
though  hard  to  move,  they  are  slowly  yielding  to  influences  from  the  outside  world. 
It  was  a  long  while  be- 
fore they  would  consent 
to  the  introduction  of 
any  of  the  modern  im- 
provements, such  as  the 
telegraph,  steamboats, 
and  railroads,  but  al- 
ready the  telegraph  lines 
are  open  between  the 
principal  cities,  while  the 
whistle  of  steamboats  is 
heard  all  along  the 
shores  of  the  empire. 
It  will  not  be  a  great 
many  years,  apparently, 
before  the  railroads  will 
connect  the  interior 
provinces  with  the  open 
ports. 

Recent  events  show 
that  there  are  two  parties 
among  the  Chinese : 
those  who  favor,  and  those  who  oppose,  the  coming  of  foreigners.  It  is  not 
strange,  in  view  of  what  some  foreign  nations  have  done  and  are  now  doing  in 
China,  that  there  is  a  deep  dislike  of  them  on  the  part  of  such  as  do  not  distinguish 
between  those  who  come  for  gain  and  those  who  seek  to  do  them  good.  Little 
by  little,  however,  this  distinction  is  seen,  and  we  may  hope  that  in  time  this 
anti- foreign  party  will  disappear.  Our  missionaries  are  doing  much  to  diminish 
its  size. 

China  has  among  its  rulers  many  very  able  men,  like  Prince  Kung,  for  a  long 
period  the  virtual  sovereign  of   the  empire,  and  Li  Hung  Chang,  viceroy  and 


PRINCE    KUNG. 


210 


Punishments  in  Cliina. 


governor  of  the  province  of  Chihli,  who  has  proved  himself  a  true  statesman, 
a  promoter  of  the  welfare  of  his  people,  and  a  friend  to  foreigners  who  come  in 
a  friendly  spirit. 

One  of  the  best  books  about  China  is  Dr.  S.  Wells  Williams's  work,  entitled 
"  The  Middle  Kingdom."  It  is  full  of  all  manner  of  interesting  and  instructive 
matter  respecting  the  country  and  the  people.  One  of  the  chapters  is  on  the 
administration  of  the  laws,  and,  as  the  publishers  of  the  volumes  have  kindly 
given  us  the  use  of  two  of  their  cuts  which  represented  the  punishment  of 
culprits,  we  will  quote  what  Dr.  Williams  says  of  them. 

The  cut  on  the  opposite  page  represents  a  court  of  justice,  of  which  it  is 
said  :  — 

"  When  in  court  the  officer  sits  behind  a  desk  upon  which  are  placed  writing 
materials  ;  his  secretaries,  clerks,  and  interpreters  being  in  waiting,  and  the  lictors 

with  their  instruments  of  punishment 
and  torture  standing  around.  Persons 
who  are  brought  before  him  kneel  in 
front  of  the  tribunal.  His  official  seal, 
and  cups  containing  tallies,  which  are 
thrown  down  to  indicate  the  number  of 
blows  to  be  given  the  culprits,  stand 
upon  the  table,  and  behind  his  seat  a 
ki-lin,  or  unicorn,  is  depicted  on  the 
wall.  There  are  inscriptions  hanging 
around  the  room,  one  of  which  exhorts 
him  to  be  merciful.  There  is  little 
pomp  or  show,  either  in  the  office  or 
attendants,  compared  with  our  notions 
of  what  is  usual  in  such  matters  among 
Asiatics.  The  former  is  a  dirty,  un- 
swept,  tawdry  room,  and  the  latter  are 
beggarly  and  impertinent.  Of  course 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  jury,  or  a 
chief  justice,  stating  the  case  to  asso- 
ciate judges  to  learn  their  opinion ;  nor  is  anything  like  an  oath  required  of  the 
witnesses." 

One  way  in  which  evidence  is  sought  is  by  torture,  a  method  once  employed 
even  in  England.  No  wonder  that  people  dread  to  come  before  the  courts  when 
they  may  be  whipped  even  to  death,  and  no  wonder  when  thus  treated  many 
confess  crimes  of  which  they  are  not  guilty.  In  the  picture  of  the  court,  opposite, 
you  will  see  on  the  right  hand  the  son  of  the  criminal  kneeling  before  the 
judge,  asking  that  he  may  be  permitted  to  bear  his  father's  punishment.  Whether 
such  cases  are  very  common  we  do  not  know,  but  they  are  often  told  about. 
One  of  the  stories  which  Chinese  boys  and  girls  read  very  frequently  is  of  the 
sou  of  a  man  who  had  been  condemned  to  death  for  treason.  This  boy,  only 
fifteen  years  of  age,  went  before  the  emperor  and  entreated  to  be  allowed  to  die 
in  his  father's  stead.  The  emperor  was  so  much  pleased  with  the  lad's  filial 


THE   CANGUE. 


Punishments  in  China.  2 1 1 

piety  that  he  not  only  set  his  father  free  but  proposed  to  give  the  boy  a  title  which 
meant  "  Perfectly  dutiful."  And  what  do  you  think  the  story  says  the  boy  did  ?  He 
did  not  go  home  with  his  father,  glad  that  both  were  free,  but  he  exclaimed  :  "  It 


A   CHINESE  COURT. 


is  right  and  just  for  a  son  to  die  when  his  father  is  disgraced ;  but  what  disgrace 
can  be  compared  with  the  idea  of  gaining  honor  at  a  father's  expense?  I  respect- 
fully decline  your  majesty's  proposed  distinction."  But  remember  that  this 
io  a  story. 


212  Punishments  in  China. 

The  cangue,  or  wooden  frame,  which  is  seen  in  the  picture  placed  around  the 
neck  of  a  prisoner,  is  often  put  upon  debtors  who  cannot  pay  what  they  owe. 
It  is  said  to  carry  no  disgrace  with  it,  and  that  it  causes  little  pain.  But  if  one 
were  compelled  to  sit  in  the  streets  of  America  in  such  a  position  as  is  here 
represented  we  are  afraid  that  boys  would  laugh  at  him.  Of  this  cangue  Dr. 
Williams  says  :  — 

"  Public  exposure  in  the  kia,  or  cangue,  is  considered  rather  as  a  kind  of 
censure  or  reprimand  than  a  punishment,  and  carries  no  disgrace  with  it,  nor 
comparatively  much  bodily  suffering  if  the  person  be  fed  and  screened  from  the 
sun.  The  frame  weighs  between  twenty  and  thirty  pounds,  and  is  so  made  as  to 
rest  upon  the  shoulders  without  chafing  the  neck,  but  so  broad  as  to  prevent  the 
person  feeding  himself.  The  name,  residence,  and  offence  of  the  delinquent 
are  written  upon  it  for  the  information  of  every  passer-by,  and  a  policeman  is 
stationed  over  him  to  prevent  escape." 

Another  punishment,  which  is  shown  in  the  cut  on  this  page,  Dr.  Williams 
describes  as  follows  :  — 


WHIPPING  A    PRISONER    THROUGH   THE  STREETS. 

"  Whipping  a  man  through  the  streets  as  a  public  example  to  others  is 
frequently  practised  upon  persons  detected  in  robbery,  assault,  or  some  other 
minor  offences.  The  man  is  manacled,  and  one  policeman  goes  before  him 
carrying  a  tablet,  on  which  are  written  his  name,  crime,  and  punishment,  accom- 
panied by  another  holding  a  gong.  In  some  cases  little  sticks  bearing  flags  are 
thrust  through  his  ears,  and  the  lictor  appointed  to  oversee  the  fulfilment  of  the 
sentence  follows  the  executioner,  who  strikes  the  criminal  with  his  whip  or  rattan 
as  the  rap  on  the  gong  denotes  that  the  appointed  number  is  not  yet  complete." 

We  cannot  hope  that  when  the  Christian  religion  is  known  throughout  China 
that  there  will  be  no  criminals  to  be  punished,  for,  alas  !  there  are  evildoers  in 
Christian  lands.  But  we  may  hope  that  justice  will  be  more  strictly  administered, 
and  that  there  will  be  more  mercy  shown  to  those  who  have  offended. 


THE  SUPERSTITIONS  OF  THE  CHINESE. 


THE  Chinese  are  classed  among  civilized  nations,  and  certainly  they  are  very 
far  above  the  degraded  inhabitants  of  many  portions  of  Africa  or  of  the  islands 


A   CHINESE   CLOTHES    MZNDER. 


of  the  Pacific.  They  are  called  an  educated  people,  though  it  is  a  question 
how  much  this  education  amounts  to  beyond  the  ability  to  repeat  the  words  of 
their  classical  writers.  But  they  have  cities,  and  temples,  and  works  of  art,  and 


214 


The  Supcrstitijns  of  the  Chintse. 


books,  and  their  government  is  by  law,  and  they  cannot  be  denied  the  name  of 
a  civilized  people.  Yet  for  all  this  they  are  superstitious  and  blind  as  to  social 
and  religious  duties.  Girls  like  this  clothes  mender  in  the  picture  go  about  the 
streets  in  many  provinces  of  China,  with  work-basket  and  stool,  ready  to  do 
any  menrling  that  may  be  offered  them.  They  have  to  hobble  over  the  road, 


for  their  feet  have  been  bound  until  they  are  all  out  of  shape.  This  poor  girl, 
when  she  was  eight  or  ten  years  old,  had  to  have  her  toes  tied  under  her  feet, 
and  the  bandages  tightly  drawn,  so  that  for  months  she  suffered  tortures,  simply 
to  make  her  feet  small.  "  Three-inch  golden  lilies,"  the  Chinese  call  these 
misshapen  little  feet,  thinking  it  a  disgrace  to  let  them  grow  naturally.  Is  it 
not  strange  that  the  people  insist  upon  a  practice  which  is  so  utterly  useless, 


The  Superstitions  of  the  Chinese.  215 

and  which  gives  such  torture  to  the  girls  ?  They  suffer  sadly  for  a  year  or  two 
while  their  feet  are  being  cramped,  being  unable  to  so  much  as  touch  them  to 
the  floor,  and  after  this  they  can  never  walk  without  pain.  Yet  the  mission- 
aries have  found  it  very  difficult  to  break  up  the  custom,  even  among  those  who 
have  become  Christians.  Many  parents  take  their  daughters  away  from  the 
Christian  schools  when  it  is  made  a  condition  of  their  staying  that  they  unbind 
their  feet. 

The  Chinese  are  not  naturally  cruel,  and  yet  they  do  not  seem  to  care  much 
for  their  daughters,  at  least  while  they  are  young.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  in 
some  provinces  parents  think  little  or  nothing  of  putting  their  female  children 
to  death.  Mothers  will  freely  tell  of  their  having  destroyed  one  or  more 
daughters  while  they  were  infants.  A  missionary  writes  of  a  woman  who  not 
long  since  expressed  her  surprise  at  seeing  him  so  sad  when  his  little  daughter 
died :  "  Just  as  if  she  had  been  a  boy,"  she  said.  A  story-  is  told  of  a  vessel 
which  some  years  ago  was  coming  down  the  river  to  Amoy.  A  missionary  who 
was  on  board  nbticed  floating  on  the  water  a  jar  of  a  peculiar  shape,  from 
which  a  cry  came.  The  boatmen  proposed  to  push  on  without  regard  to  what 
might  be  in  the  jar.  But  the  missionary  insisted  on  saving,  if  possible,  the 
girl  who,  he  suspected,  had  been  thrown  away  by  her  parents.  He  succeeded 
in  getting  the  jar,  and  found  in  it  a  poor  baby  girl,  not  so  exhausted  but  that 
she  could  be  restored.  She  lived  and  grew  up  among  Christian  people,  and  is 
now  the  wife  of  a  native  Christian  preacher.  The  girls  in  Christian  lands 
ought  certainly  to  pray  for  their  sisters  in  China. 

Though  the  Chinese  are  an  ingenious  people,  they  are  very  clumsy  in  many 
of  their  methods  of  living  and  working.  The  picture  on  the  opposite  page 
shows  how  people  have  to  travel  in  some  of  the  provinces.  This  one-wheeled 
wheelbarrow  is  drawn  by  a  donkey  and  pushed  and  guided  by  a  man,  who 
has  no  easy  task  to  keep  his  load  from  upsetting.  When  the  wind  is  fair 
a  sail  is  raised,  and  the  traveler  sails  along  at  the  rate  of.  perhaps,  two  miles 
an  hour.  The  Chinese  do  not  welcome  inventions  for  saving  labor.  It  was 
proposed  not  long  since  to  build  a  railroad  to  transport  the  coal  to  Tientsin, 
which  is  now  brought  on  camels  with  much  labor  and  at  great  cost.  The 
government  was  asked  to  allow  the  construction  of  the  railway.  But  the 
officials  in  their  answer  gave  three  reasons  why  the  railroad  could  not  be  built : 
First,  because  of  engineering  difficulties ;  second,  because  the  people  would 
object ;  and  third,  because  Fung-shui  would  be  disturbed.  Now  this  Fung- 
shui means  about  what  we  mean  by  "good  luck."  The  Chinese  suppose  that 
good  or  bad  luck  belong  to  certain  places,  certain  days,  or  to  the  particular 
height  at  which  an  object  is  placed  above  the  ground,  or  to  the  angle  at  which 
it  stands.  A  place  that  at  one  time  has  Fung-shui,  or  "  good  luck,"  may  lose  it 
if  a  new  road  or  bridge  should  be  built,  or  some  change  be  made  in  the  land- 
scape. Hence  the  Chinese  are  very  loth  to  have  any  great  alterations  made  in 
their  surroundings.  And  so  this  official  document  from  the  learned  officers 
at  Peking  said  concerning  the  objections  made  to  building  the  needed  railroad, 
that  the  first  and  second,  the  engineering  difficulties  and  the  opposition  of  the 
people,  might,  perhaps,  be  surmounted,  but  that  the  third  objection,  that  from 
Fung-shui  was  insuperable.  So  their  doctrine  of  "  good  luck  "  keeps  the  loco- 
motive out  of  North  China. 

For  fifty  years  now  the  missionaries  of  the  American  Board  have  been  labor- 


216 


The  Superstitions  of  the  Chinese. 


ing  for  China.  At  first  the  effort  was  to  get  permission  to  stay  there  ;  then  for 
long  years  they  must  labor  to  master  the  difficult  language,  and  to  translate  the 
Bible  and  Christian  books  into  Chinese.  But  the  whole  empire  is  now  open, 
and  if  Christians  were  ready  to  do  so,  they  might  settle  in  any  of  the  provinces, 
several  of  which  have  a  population  nearly  as  large  as  that  of  the  whole  United 
States. 


The  American  Board  has  now  twenty-six  ordained  missionaries  and  twenty-two 
churches  included  in  its  four  missions  within  the  Empire.  One  of  the  stations  in 
the  North  China  Mission  is  Tientsin,  the  port  of  Peking,  represented  above. 
Do  not  forget  the  hundreds  of  millions  of  Chinese  who  as  yet  have  never  heard 
that  God  has  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 


CALLING  THE  GODS  TO  PRAYER 

WE  are  told  that  it  is  one  of  the  notions  of  the  Chinese,  and  indeed  of  almost 
all  the  heathen,  that  their  gods,  since  they  care  little  for  men,  will  not  listen  to 
any  prayers  or  worship  unless  some  great  noise  is  made  to  keep  their  attention. 
The  Bible  tells  us  that  when  the  priests  of  Baal  on  Mount  Carmel  called  on  their 
god  to  let  fire  come  down  upon  his  altar,  Elijah  mocked  them  and  said  :  "  Cry 
aloud,  for  he  is  a  god :  either  he  is  talking,  or  he  is  pursuing,  or  he  is  on  a 
journey,  or  peradventure  he  sleepeth  and  must  be  awakened  "  (i  Kings  xviii.  27). 
This  was  just  what  those  priests  supposed  might  be  true,  and  so  the  Chinese 


DRUM  AND  GONGS  OF  A  CHINESE  TEMPLE. 


think  of  their  gods  as,  perhaps,  absent  or  sleepy,  and  they  must  do  something  to 
call  them  and  keep  them  awake  while  their  prayers  are  offered.  For  this  pur- 
pose they  sometimes  use  bells,  not  as  we  do  to  call  the  people  together,  but  to 
call  the  god.  In  Northern  China  they  use  drums,  like  the  one  represented  above. 
Gongs  are  also  used,  and  sometimes  fire-crackers.  The  noises  of  our  Fourth  of 
July  are  such  as  the  Chinese  think  they  must  keep  up  while  worshiping,  lest  their 
god  should  fall  asleep.  Pray  for  these  millions  of  people,  that  they  may  soon 
learn  of  him  who  is  ready,  anywhere  and  at  any  hour,  to  hear  the  slightest 
whisper  of  prayer. 


CHINA  AND  THE  GREAT  NATIONS. 

THE  diagram  given  below  presents  to  the  eye,  as  nearly  as  possible,  the  main 
facts  concerning  the  population  of  five  great  nations  compared  with  the  population 
of  China,  on  the  assumption  that  China  has  four  hundred  millions.  Each  of  the 
small  squares  represents  four  millions  of  souls.  One  hundred  of  these  squares, 
therefore,  or  the  whole  number  embraced  in  the  diagram,  may  stand  for  China. 


Uh 

IITED 

S' 

FAT 

ES 

j 

^_ 

FF 

JAM 

PF 

^ 

r  r 

MIN 

UL 

•     ^ 

PFF 

^NyljQ 

MV 

nz 

LiLr 

Tmr 

IN  Y 

\ 

GR 

•  AT 
_/»  i 

BF 

^iry 

JN 

m3 

i 

VM    1 

< 

• 

ChJlDIC 

AlN 

r 

\ 

J 

L-IV 

ri^ii 

c. 

On  this  surface  the  United  States  takes,  approximately,  eleven  squares ;  France, 
ten;  Germany,  eleven;  Great  Britain,  eight;  and  Russia,  twenty-one.  The 
aggregate  population  of  these  five  nations  equals  only  sixty-one  one-hundredths 
of  the  number  of  souls  in  the  Chinese  Empire.  And  for  China's  four  hundred 
million  souls  there  are  not  much  more  than  three  hundred  missionaries. 


JAPAN. 


THE  EMPIRE  OF  THE  MIKADO. 


bf  writing  for  young  people  about  Japan,  as  we  propose  to  do  in  this  section, 
it  is  fitting  that  the  first  picture  and  the  first  words  should  be  of  the  object 
which  is  first  seen  as  one  approaches  Japan,  namely,  Fuji-yama,  or,  as  it  is 
not  inappropriately  called,  "The  Matchless  Mountain."  This  mountain  is 


FUJI-YAMA.  THE   MATCHLESS  MOUNTAIN. 

more  than  twice  as  high  as  Mt.  Washington,  and  rising  out  of  the  fertile  plain 
its  snowy  summit  glistens  for  ten  months  in  the  year,  in  striking  contrast  with 
the  verdure  below.  The  Japanese  think  that  nothing  can  be  more  majestic 
than  their  mountain,  and  in  almost  all  their  pictures  it  finds  a  place,  either  in 
the  foreground  or  the  background.  It  is  to  them  not  only  matchless  in  beaut}-, 
but  also  very  sacred.  The  legend  told  is  that  the  mountain  rose  from  the  plain 
in  one  night,  and  was  ascended  first  by  a  holy  man,  who  was  the  founder  of  the 
Shinto  religion,  the  oldest  religion  of  Japan.  There  are  only  two  months  of 


224 


The  Empire  of  the  Mikado. 


the  year  during  which  Fuji  is  sufficiently  free  from  snow  to  allow  the  ascent  to 
be  made,  but  during  those  months  crowds  of  pilgrims  climb  the  steep  cone,  a 


KIOTO,   THE    SACRED   CITY. 


task  which  is  performed  with  the  utmost  difficulty.  These  pilgrims  are  gen- 
erally dressed  in  white,  and  most  of  them  are  rough,  coarse  men.  They  say  that 
their  object  in  climbing  the  mountain  is  to  secure  the  aid  of  a  spirit  dwelling 


The  Empire  of  the  Mikado.  225 

there,  who  can  make  them  holy.  On  reaching  the  summit,  near  which  ie  the 
crater  of  a  volcano  no  longer  active,  these  pilgrims  worship  before  some  stone 
idols,  and  then  return  below  to  live  just  as  wickedly  as  they  did  before  their 
pilgrimage.  There  is  nothing  in  the  religions  of  Japan  to  make  men  holy.  The 
visiting  of  sacred  places  and  the  solemn  bowing  in  beautiful  temples  or  on 
"The  Matchless  Mountain"  before  gods  of  wood  or  stone,  cannot  cleanse 
human  hearts,  or  make  these  hearts  love  what  is  pure. 

Japan  has  a  "  Sacred  City,"  Kioto,  a  view  of  which  is  given  on  the  opposite 
page.  This  city  is  twenty-seven  miles  from  the  Inland  Sea,  as  the  beautiful 
bay  between  the  mainland  and  the  islands  of  Shikoku  and  Kiushiu  is  called,  and 
was  formerly  the  capital  of  the  empire.  Here  the  Mikado  resided,  and  here 
are  beautiful  temples  of  the  two  chief  religions  of  Japan,  Buddhism  and  Shin- 
toism.  The  Mikado,  or  Emperor  of  Japan,  belongs  to  the  oldest  ruling  family 
in  the  world.  Long  before  Christ  came  to  earth  his  ancestors  were  on  the 
throne.  The  old  belief  regarding  the  Mikados  was  that  they  were  not  ordinary 
mortals,  but  descended  from  heaven.  Among  the  titles  given  them  were,  "  Son 
of  Heaven,"  "Heaven-King,"  "The  Forbidden  Interior,"  and  when  they  died 
they  were  supposed  to  take  their  places  among  the  gods.  So  sacred  were  they 
that  it  was  not  permitted  to  speak  the  name  of  the  living  Mikado  aloud,  or  to 
write  it  out  in  full.  In  order  to  foster  this  notion  of  unearthly  power  and 
majesty,  no  one  was  allowed  to  look  upon  the  person  of  the  Mikado.  He  lived 
in  absolute  seclusion,  and  even  when  high  officials  came  near  him  he  was  con- 
cealed in  immense  folds  of  flowing  drapery.  His  palace  grounds  at  Kioto 
were  shut  in  by  a  wall  so  high  that  only  the  tops  of  the  trees  were  to  be  seen 
from  without.  Thus  in  every  way  the  Mikado  was  separated  from  the  people, 
and  an  air  of  mystery  thrown  around  him  which  kept  the  people  in  awe  of  his 
power.  It  is  only  recently  that  all  this  has  passed  away.  Kioto,  though  still 
regarded  as  a  sacred  city,  is  no  longer  the  capital.  The  Mikado  has  removed 
to  the  old  city  of  Yedo,  changing  its  name  to  Tokio,  meaning  "  the  Eastern 
Capital,"  and  there  he  allows  himself  to  be  seen  by  the  people,  much  as  other 
sovereigns  do. 

In  the  picture  of  Kioto  there  is  seen  in  the  foreground  a  portion  of  a  fine 
Buddhist  temple,  from  whose  court  you  look  across  the  beautiful  valley  in  which 
the  city  is  built.  The  numerous  temples  of  the  citv,  with  their  extensive 
grounds  filled  with  noble  trees,  make  it  exceedingly  attractive,  and  the  wor- 
shipers of  idols  gather  here  in  large  numbers.  Until  within  a  few  years  the  city 
was  wholly  given  to  idolatry.  No  Protestant  missionary  had  ever  stepped  foot 
there,  except  for  a  single  day,  until  1872,  when  Messrs.  Gulick  and  Greene  ob- 
tained passes  to  visit  the  place.  The  American  Board  has  now  more  missionaries 
in  Kioto  than  in  any  other  city  of  the  Empire,  and  in  Japan's  "Sacred  City" 
there  are  churches  in  which  there  are  no  idols.  Here  is  the  Training  School, 
from  which,  in  1879,  fifteen  native  young  men  were  graduated,  a  picture  of  whom 
is  given  on  the  next  page.  Most  of  them  are  now  preaching  Christ  to  their 
countrymen  in  different  parts  cf  the  Empire.  In  1884  there  were  180  pupils  in 
this  school,  a  large  number  of  them  preparing  for  the  ministry. 

It  is  only  recently  that  the  people  of  Japan  have  learned  anything  of  the 
manners  and  customs  of  other  nations,  and  their  own  ways  of  living  are  as  yet 


6    3, 
^    a 

i 


The  Empire  of  the  Mikado. 


227 


little  affected  by  what  they  have  seen  of  the  outside  world.  As  the  fronts  of 
their  houses  are  open  to  the  street,  the  occupations  of  the  family  often  afford 
much  amusement  to  the  American  or  European  traveler.  Sometimes  he  will 
see  the  housewife  grinding  rice.  She  sits  on  the  floor,  Japanese  fashion,  ties 
back  her  sleeves,  covers  her  head  with  a  blue  cloth,  and  attends  to  her  work, 
quite  unmindful  of  the  passers-by.  In  passing  a  barber's  shop  one  will  often 
see  a  woman  having  her  hair  dressed.  This  is  a  very  long  process,  for  the 


A    BARBER'S    SHOP. 

Japanese  give  special  attention  to  the  appearance  of  their  hair.  In  order  not 
to  tumble  it  after  it  is  dressed,  the  people  sleep  on  a  pillow  which  is  often 
nothing  but  a  block  of  wood,  and  placed  not  under  the  head,  but  under  the 
neck,  so  that  nothing  shall  touch  the  carefully  arranged  top-knots.  In  the  cut, 
the  woman,  while  under  the  hands  of  the  barber,  is  taking  the  opportunity 
to  smoke.  Here  is  the  green-grocer,  who  carries  vegetables  and  fruit  in  baskets 
hanging  from  a  pole  which  he  suspends  over  his  shoulder.  He  uses  his  staff 
for  the  double  purpose  of  an  aid  in  walking  and  a  support  for  his  pole  while 


228  The  Empire  of  the  Mikado. 

stopping  at  a  door  to  trade.  Sometimes  these  market  men  will  spend  half  an 
hour  haggling  over  the  paltry  sum  of  one  rin,  equal  to  one  tenth  of  a  cent. 
When  the  bargain  is  finished  they  will  move  on,  half  running,  shouting  their 
wares  as  they  go. 


A   JAPANESE    GROCER. 

On  the  next  page  is  a  picture  of  a  Japanese  family  at  dinner.  They  sit,  as 
you  see,  on  the  floor,  while  the  dishes  containing  the  food  are  placed  in  the 
centre  of  the  group.  The  food  consists  largely  of  rice  and  fish,  with  vegetables. 
The  furniture  of  the  rooms  is  very  simple,  amounting  ordinarily  to  little  more 
than  some  mats  and  a  few  trays  and  dishes.  As  for  beds,  we  should  say  they  had 
none.  They  place  mats  under  them  on  the  floor,  and  a  coverlid  over  them,  and 
if  they  have  besides  a  padded  block  for  a  pillow  they  ask  for  nothing  more. 
The  houses  consist  of  little  else  than  outside  walls,  of  one  story,  the  partitions 
between  the  rooms  being  made  of  paper  screens,  easily  moved,  so  that  the 
inside  of  the  house  can  be  arranged  at  any  moment  in  whatever  shape  the 
family  may  desire.  In  the  day  time  the  whole  space  can  be  thrown  into  a 
parlor,  and  in  the  night  into  sleeping  rooms. 

These  interesting  people,  who  live  in  ways  that  are  so  strange  to  us,  impress 
many  travelers  as  being  very  happy,  but  Mrs.  Gary,  of  Okayama,  who  has  sent 
us  some  of  these  sketches  of  Japanese  life,  says  the  women  of  America  know 


Empire  cf  the  Mikado. 


230 


The  Empire  of  the  Mikado. 


little  of  the  sad  and  toilsome  lives  of  their  sisters  in  that  land.  The  women 
work  in  the  fields,  guiding  the  plow  with  their  babies  on  their  backs,  or  stand- 
ing at  their  tasks  on  the  rice  plantations  ankle-deep  in  the  mud.  Worse  than 
all,  there  are  as  yet  comparatively  few  Christian  homes  where  these  women  can 
find  the  gentleness  and  purity  which  the  gospel  inspires.  But  many  such 
homes,  we  believe,  will  be  found  in  Japan  within  a  few  years. 

More  than  three  hundred  years  ago  the  Jesuits  went  from  Spain  and  Por- 
tugal to  Japan,  and  prosecuted  a  mission,  making,  so  far  as  mere  baptism  could 
make  them,  many  converts.  The  forms  of  worship  used  by  the  Buddhists  are 
not  markedly  different  from  the  ceremonials  of  Romanism,  and  these  Jesuit 
priests  easily  made  over  the  idols  of 
Buddha  into  images  of  Christ.  The 
Japanese  Goddess  of  Mercy  they  called 
the  Virgin  Mary.  Processions  of  priests 
clad  in  gorgeous  vestments  and  carrying 
gilt  crosses  marched  through  the  land, 
in  some  places  commanding  the  people 
to  become  Christians,  or  else  be  ban- 
ished from  their  homes  and  country  " 
They  even  killed  many  of  the  pagan 
priests.  For  a  time  they  seemed  to 
carry  all  before  them,  and  after  a  few 
years  numbered  more  than  half  a  mil- 
lion "  converts,"  such  as  they  were. 

The  prejudices  of  the  people  were 
finally  aroused  by  being  told  by  these 
Jesuits  that  the  pope  was  their  rightful 
ruler.  The  Japanese  resented  the  idea 
that  a  foreigner  should  rule  over  them,  and  after  a  long  series  of  bitter  perse- 
cutions they  exterminated  the  Christians.  Over  the  pit  in  which  hundreds  of 
the  slain  were  buried  the  following  inscription  was  placed  :  As  long  as  the  sun 
shall  warm  the  earth,  let  no  Christian  be  so  bold  as  to  come  to  Japan  ;  and  let  all 
know  that  the  King  of  Spain  himself,  or  the  Christian's  god,  or  the  great  God  of 
all,  if  he  violate  this  command,  shall  pay  for  it  with  his  head.  By  the  Christian's 
god  they  probably  meant  the  pope,  and  the  pope  certainly  they  have  kept  from 
their  land.  But  the  great  God  of  all  they  have  not  and  cannot  shut  out. 
One  of  the  greatest  obstacles  our  missionaries  have  met  in  Japan  has  been 
the  prevalent  notion  that  Christianity  means  Romanism.  Now,  however,  this 
notion  is  rapidly  passing  away,  and  the  people  believe  that  the  new  religion  is 
not  designed  to  bring  them  under  a  foreign  yoke.  If  they  do  not  welcome  the 
gospel,  they  at  least  listen  to  it.  The  natives  themselves  are  becoming  able 
and  earnest  preachers  of  the  truth,  and  are  going  to  different  parts  of  the  em- 
pire to  tell  the  glad  news  of  a  Saviour  of  whom  they  have  heard.  On  the 
"  Sunrise  Kingdom  "  a  better  sun  than  any  heretofore  seen  there  is  rising,  and 
wonderful  changes  are  taking  place.  Let  every  one  who  loves  the  Kingdom 
of  God  look  for  and  pray  for  the  coming  of  that  Kingdom  in  Japan. 


CARRYING    THE    BABY. 


OLD  JAPAN. 


No  country  has  awakened  such  interest  in  recent  years  as  has  Japan. 
There  is  in  that  Empire  a  wonderful  people  with  a  wonderful  history,  and 
the  world  has  but  just  begun  to  know  about  them.  Recent  books  speak 
about  an  old  and  a  new  Japan.  The  new  Japan  began  fifteen  years  ago ; 
the  old  Japan  is  centuries  older  than  our  nation.  It  is  not  meant  that  there 
are  two  countries  of  that  name,  as  when  we  speak  of  New  England  and 
Old  England,  but  the  change  in  that  Empire  has  been  so  great  that  it  seems 
like  another  nation. 

Upon  the  following  pages  will  be  given  some  illustrations  of  the  old 
Japan.  Two  principal  forms  of  religion  have  prevailed  —  Shintoism  and 
Buddhism.  The  latter  is  a  very  sad  faith,  teaching  that  the  souls  of  men 


Great  Buddha.   Bronze  Idol,  50  feet  high. 

have  lived  in  a  previous  state  of  existence,  and  that  they  must  pass  on  from 
one  state  to  another,  suffering  in  them  all  until,  possibly,  they  may  arrive 
at  what  is  called  Nirvana,  which  is  a  sleep,  with  no  consciousness  of  exist- 
ence. Because  they  think  that  these  changes  from  one  form  of  existence 
to  another  will  be  full  of  misery,  their  great  desire  is  speedily  to  reach  Nir- 
vana, or  unconsciousness.  And  so  it  is  said  that  to  repeat  to  a  Japanese 
those  sweet  words  :  "  The  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life,"  or  "  He  that  believ- 


232 


Japan. 


eth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live,"  is  to  say  what  is  very 
painful  to  him.  He  has  such  sad  ideas  of  the  future  that  he  does  not  wish 
for  eternal  life. 

The  picture  on  the  preceding  page  represents  an  immense  image  of  Bud- 
dha, in  this  sleep  called  Nirvana.  This  idol  is  at  Kamakura,  not  far  from 
Yedo,  asid  is  said  to  be  a  work  of  high  art.  You  will  see  how  immense  it 
is  by  the  comparative  size  of  the  grown  men  who  are  standing  at  its  base. 
A  small  altar  stands  before  the  idol,  for  the  burning  of  incense,  and  over 
its  head  are  rows  of  snail-shells.  There  is  a  door  on  its  back  through 
which  any  one  can  pass  into  the  hollow  body,  where  little  gilt  images  are 
ranged  on  shelves.  In  1611,  a  few  years  before  the  Pilgrims  landed  at 
Plymouth,  an  English  naval  captain  visited  this  idol  and  wrote  his  name 
inside  of  it.  In  1871,  a  Christian  gentleman  from  America  sat  on  one  of 
the  thumbs  of  the  idol  and  sang  the  doxology.  It  will  not  be  long,  if 
Christians  are  faithful,  before  the  people  who  now  worship  a  sleeping  god 
will  learn  of  Him  who  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps. 


Temple  of  Hachiman,  God  of  War. 

Kamakura  was  anciently  the  military  capital  of  the  empire.  At  this 
place  there  is  a  famous  shrine  of  Hachiman,  built  eight  hundred  years 
ago.  Hachiman  was  a  noted  warrior,  and  after  his  death  was  deified.  In 
many  parts  of  Japan  there  are  temples  dedicated  to  him,  but  this  temple 
at  Kamakura,  represented  above,  is  the  finest  of  all.  It  has  a  rich  museum 
of  armor  and  weapons,  and  contains  also  two  monstrous  idols,  carved  in 
wood  and  covered  with  vermilion.  Offerings  are  brought  the  idols,  of  a 
singular  sort,  being  nothing  else  than  immense  straw  shoes  for  their  'feet. 
Thousands  of  these  shoes  are  hung  about  the  temple.  Is  it  not  strange  and 
sad  that  people  who  know  how  to  build  such  fine  structures  should  know 
nothing  about  the  true  God  ? 


Japan. 


233 


A  Japanese  Matsuri. 

Matsuri,  or  religious  festivals,  are  observed  all  over  the  country.  The 
chief  feature  of  them  b  the  procession,  which  is  often  four  or  five  miles 
long.  The  people  dress  in  their  gayest  clothing,  many  of  them  grotesque- 
ly, and  with  trumpets  and  banners  they  bring  out  immense  images  of  idols, 
and  bear  them  through  the  streets.  These  images  represent  not  their 
god,  but  their  devil,  and  the  procession  is  not  in  his  honor  but  to  rejoice 
over  his  defeat  and  capture.  They  have  caught  the  demon  and  show  his 
hideous  head  in  triumph.  The  scene  is  thoroughly  pagan,  and  is  often 
marked  by  wildest  mirth  and  drunkenness.  Alas  for  the  poor  revellers ! 
Instead  of  their  capturing  the  evil  onCj  they  are  themselves  caught  by  him. 
May  they  soon  learn  that  they  can  triumph  over  him.  not  by  dragging  his 
image,  but  by  resisting  him  in  the  strength  of  a  Divine  Saviour. 

The  people  are  singularly  divided  into  classes  throughout  Japan.  The 
Mikado,  or  Emperor,  was  formerly  supposed  to  be  divine,  and  was  wor- 
shiped, but  never  seen.  In  the  new  Japan  he  has  become  an  emperor  like 
those  in  other  nations.  The  picture  of  Buddha  and  the  engraving  upon 
the  next  page  are  to  be  found  in  an  interesting  volume  for  young  people, 
published  by  the  American  Tract  Society,  entitled  "  Life  and  Adventure  in 
Japan."  The  author,  Mr.  Clark,  has  given  the  following  description  of  the 
several  classes :  — 

"  In  ancient  times  society  was  divided  into  four  classes.  The  first  con- 
stituted the  literary  and  military  class,  called  the  Samurai.  The  second, 


234  Japan. 

strange  as  it  may  seem,  was  the  agricultural  class,  or  common  farmer.  The 
third  was  the  laboring  class,  or  carpenter  and  artisan.  The  fourth  was  the 
trading  or  money-making  class,  the  merchant.  These  were  the  chief  classes 
that  existed  from  1604  until  1868.  The  Samurai  stood  at  the  head  of  the 
social  scale.  He  was  the  gentleman  —  the  soldier  in  war  and  the  scholar 
in  peace.  He  could  wield  either  the  sword  or  the  pen.  Of  the  two,  he 
rather  preferred  the  sword.  He  might  walk  the  streets  without  a  hat,  but 
never  without  wearing  his  two  swords. 

"  In  the  picture  representing  the  classes  of  society  in  Japan,  the  Samurai 
is  seen  standing  on  the  left,  with  his  long  and  short  swords  thrust  in  his 
belt.  In  the  middle  of  the  picture,  sitting  upon  the  ground,  is  the  car- 
penter, who  carries  a  square  rule.  The  man  with  a  book  is  a  street  story- 


Represent 


Society. 


teller  ;  and  the  girl  on  the  right,  with  a  sickle,  is  a  farmer's  daughter  who 
cuts  grass,  and  carries  it  in  the  basket  on  her  back.  The  girl  sitting  on  the 
left,  with  a  musical  instrument,  is  playing  on  the  samisen,  or  three-stringed 
banjo,  which  is  more  popular  than  any  other  kind  of  music.  The  strings 
are  struck  with  a  piece  of  ivory.  The  man  with  a  brick-shaped  hat  on  the 
right  of  the  group  is  a  Ku-Ge,  or  court  noble.  The  central  and  highest 
figure  is  dressed  in  the  style  which  once  prevailed  at  the  court  of  the 
Tycoon.  But  these  ridiculous  fashions  are  now  nearly  abolished.  The  two 
ladies  on  either  side  of  the  highest  figure  are  members  of  the  Mikado's 
court.  Two  dots  upon  their  foreheads  denote  their  high  rank.  All  the 
other  ladies  have  their  hair  dressed  in  the  style  of  the  middle  classes  of 
society.  The  men  have  their  heads  shaved  at  the  top,  in  the  old-fashioned 
way.  The  Samurai  have  the  family  crests  upon  their  clothing." 

In  the  new  Japan  these  class  distinctions  are  breaking  down  ;  and  the 
people  of  all  classes  are  receiving  the  gospel. 


THE  SUNRISE  KINGDOM. 


So  the  Japanese  call  their  land.  It  is  indeed  a  lovely  land,  made  pic- 
turesque by  wooded  hills,  and  glorious  views  of  sea  and  sky,  and  crowned 
by  the  sacred  mountain  Fuji,  the  pride  of  all 
dwellers  upon  the  many  islands  composing  the 
Empire.  The  summers  are  warm  and  rainy,  but 
the  climate  in  general  is  so  pleasant  that  the 
people  can  live  out  doors  most  of  the  time. 
The  winter  is  so  mild  that  in  Tokio  the  trees 
are  always  green  and  flowers  are  in  bloom. 
You  will  find  on  another  page  a  picture  of  a 
street  in  Tokio,  and  Fuji  may  be  dimly  seen  in 
the  distance. 

In  the  year  1549,  Francis  Xavier  and  other 
Roman  Catholic  missionaries  went  to  Japan. 
They  had   some  success  in  making  converts, 
but  when  they  told  the  people  that  the  Pope 
^-^^^    claimed  the  right  to  rule  over  all   the  world, 
SAMURAI.  they  were  expelled,  and  all  their  followers  put 

to  death.  Because  the  Japanese  greatly 
feared  that  Christianity  would  bring  them 
under  the  dominion  of  a  foreign  power, 
edicts  were  made  against  this  religion, 
some  of  which  may  still  be  seen  posted  on 
boards  by  the  side  of  the  streets.  Until 
1854  the  country  was  closed  against  all  for- 
eigners. In  that  year,  Commodore  Pern- 
made  a  treaty  between  Japan  and  the 
United  States  and  now  several  ports  are 
open  to  commerce,  and  in  many  cities  mis- 
sionaries from  this  and  other  lands  are  giv- 
ing the  people  a  truer  idea  of  what  Chris- 
tianity is,  not  as  imposing  a  foreign  ruler, 
but  as  of  telling  of  Jesus,  the  Saviour  from 
sin. 

Among  the  many  pleasant  books  about 
this  newly  opened  land  is  a  recent  one  by 
a  missionary  lady,  Mrs.  J.  D.  Carrothers, 


236 


The  Sunrise  Kingdom. 


entitled,  "  The  Sunrise  Kingdom."  By  the  kindness  of  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Publication,  which  publishes  the  volume,  we  are  permitted  to 
use  the  pictures  on  this  and  the  preceding  page,  and  also  the  one  of  the 
"  Mother  and  Baby."  The  Samurai,  represented  in  the  first  cut,  form  the 
military  and  the  learned  class,  being  the  retainers  of  the  Damios,  or  high 


chiefs,  who  served  the  Mikado.  Since  the  revolution  in  1862,  which  broke 
up  the  old  feudal  system,  these  Samurai  are  no  longer  wholly  supported 
by  the  chiefs,  but  they  still  wear  two  swords,  the  emblem  of  their  rank,  and 
they  walk  the  streets  with  an  air  of  superiority.  Mrs.  Carrothers  says  that 
she  taught  little  boys  of  the  Samurai  class,  whose  eyes  just  came  above  the 


The  Sunrise  Kingdom. 


238 


Tlie  Sunrise  Kingdom. 


table,  as  they  stood  around  it  to  read,  and  even  they  wore  two  swords. 

The  swords  are  so  put  on,  under  their  flowing  Japanese  dress,  that  they 

appear  to  pass  through  the  body  of  the  wearer.     The  dress  of  the  priests 

is  much  the  same  except  for  their  shaven  heads. 

The  picture  of  the  pilgrims  represents  the  poor  people  who  go  to  Fuji 

and  other  mountain  summits  to  worship  the  same  helpless  idols  that  others 

worship  in  temples. 
Fuji,  being  13,000 
feet  high,  and  always 
having  snow  upon  its 
top,  is  accessible  only 
in  July  and  August. 
During  these  months 
the  pilgrims  from  the 
the  lowest  class  as- 
cend Fuji,  with  vile 
songs  and  jests,  be- 
cause, as  they  say, 
"they  wish  to  be 
holy,"  but  they  come 


JAPANESE    MOTHER   AND    CHILD 


The  people  of 
"  The  Sunrise  King- 
dom "  seem  courte- 
ous and  happy,  but 
under  their  polite- 
ness are  hidden 
dreadful  sins  and  bit- 
ter troubles.  They 
have  no  word  for 
"  home,"  they  only 
speak  of  their  house. 
Yet  parents  are  kind, 
and  women  and  girls 
are  better  treated 
than  in  most  heathen 
lands.  A  woman  is, 
however,  the  servant 
of  her  husband,  and 
if  he  dies,  her  son, 
her  own,  becomes  her 


once  the  baby-boy  who   laid    his   cheek   against 
master. 

Letters  from  the  missionaries  who  are  telling  the  good  news  of  a  Saviour 
bring  most  interesting  accounts  from  Japan.  Christians  are  full  of  hope  for 
that  Empire.  Only  sixteen  years  ago  the  mission  of  our  Board  began  there, 
and  now  we  have  twenty-eight  churches.  Idolatry  is  giving  way,  but  there  is 
danger  that  the  people  in  giving  up  their  old  gods  will  think  there  is  no  God. 
Let  us  pray  much  for  our  dear  missionaries  in  Japan. 


CHURCH  AT  IMABARI,  JAPAN. 


SCENES  IN  JAPAN. 


REV.  W.  W.  CURTIS,  one  of  the  missionaries  at  Osaka,  Japan,  has  written  a 
letter,  descriptive  of  scenes  in  that  land,  which  we  are  sure  will  interest  all 
young  people.  In  reading  what  he  says  about  the  way  the  Japanese  break  the 
Sabbath,  it  should  be  remembered  that  it  is  only  a  few  years  since  they  knew 
anything  about  the  Sabbath.  The  day  is  noticed  by  the  people  generally,  not 
because  they  wish  to  pay  any  regard  to  the  command  of  the  Christian's  God, 
but  solely  because  they  have  learned  that  it  is  best  to  rest  from  labor  one  day 
in  seven.  Yet,  as  will  be  seen,  they  do  not  rest.  Mr.  Curtis  says :  — 

"  How  different  the  Sabbath  here  from  that  at  home  !  Here  it  is  a  holiday  to 
government  officers,  but  with  the  townspeople  it  is  different  in  no  respect  from 
other  days.  Not  infrequently,  as  I  return  from  our  Sabbath  evening  meeting, 
I  find  the  street  almost  impassable  from  the  crowds  that  throng  it,  for  it  is 
turned  into  an  open  air  bazaar.  People  have  come  from  other  parts  of  the 
city  and  spread  out  their  wares  on  either  side  of  the  street,  which  is  brilliantly 
illuminated  with  torches,  candles,  and  smoking  kerosene  lamps. 

"  Occasionally  I  find  a  section  of  the  city,  or  a  street,  illuminated  with  the 
Japanese  lanterns,  two  or  three  feet  in  length.  It  is  in  honor  of  some  god,  or 
some  temple.  Once  a  year  the  whole  city  is  thus  illuminated  in  honor  of  the 
birthday  of  the  Emperor,  the  Son  of  Heaven,  as  he  was  formerly  supposed  to  be. 
Or  it  may  be  that  from  our  home  in  the  Foreign  Concession,  on  Sunday  nights, 
after  we  have  gone  to  rest,  we  hear  the  noise  of  gongs  and  drums,  and  flutes 


Scenes  in  Japan. 


241 


and  bells,  and  we  look  out  upon  a  procession  of  boats  on  the  river,  all  deco- 
rated gaily,  and  lighted  up.  Painted  girls,  acting  as  priestesses,  are  making 
the  music,  while  priests  and  people  are  saki-drinking  and  merry-making." 

A    GALA    PROCESSION. 

Mr.  Curtis  gives  an  account  of  one  of  the  many  processions  of  which  the 
Japanese  are  so  fond.  Whenever  they  would  make  merry,  they  seem  at  once 
to  fall  into  line  and  march  somewhere.  The  picture  opposite  is  of  a  procession 
somewhat  similar  to  that  here  described,  and  is  a  good  illustration  of  a  Jap- 
anese religious  festival.  Mr.  Curtis  writes  :  — 

"The  other  day  a 
.procession  passed 
our  door,  which  you, 
perhaps,  would  like 
to  hear  of.  We  heard 
a  din,  a  Babel  of 
voices,  growing  loud- 
er and  louder,  and 
on  going  to  the  door 
saw  a  crowd  ap- 
proaching, composed 
largely  of  boys  be- 
tween five  and  ten 
years  of  age,  though 
some  men  were 
among  them.  The 
first  fifty  or  more 
were  dressed  in  uni- 
form colors,  a  suit  of 
red  and  white  in 
squares  of  about  an 
inch  and  a  half,  the 
red  being  the  domi- 
nant color,  looking, 
indeed,  like  circus 
clowns,  judging  from 
the  bills  that,  in 
America,  used  to  be 
stuck  up  in  every  possible  place.  (They  didn't  let  me  go  to  circus  wften  a  boy,  and 
I  can't  say  from  actual  observation  how  clowns  are  dressed.)  Each  person  had 
a  cloth  tied  around  his  head,  with  apparently  a  paper  stuck  in  it,  and  a  paper 
fan  in  his  hand.  They  were  dancing  along,  striking  their  hands,  or  perhaps 
each  other,  with  the  fan,  and  singing  and  chatting.  The  men  especially  were 
cutting  up  queer  antics.  Some  of  the  boys  had  bells  hung  to  their  girdles. 
Then  came  a  lot  of  older  persons,  dressed  in  blue  and  white  garments.  Per- 
haps there  were  a  hundred  and  fifty  in  all.  Last  of  all  came  a  triumphal  car,  a 
miniature  temple,  or  shrine,  with  a  man  in  it.  They  were  having  a  jolly  time 
altogether. 


JAPANESE    SCRIBE. 


242  Scenes  in  Japan. 

11  And  what  was  it  all  about  ?  I  don't  know  exactly,  only  it  was  some  sort  of 
a  Shintoo  religious  festival  connected  with  a  new  temple  now  being  built  in  the 
heart  of  the  city.  It  was  a  religious  performance  of  the  children,  and  I -should 
think  is  about  as  near  as  the  heathen  come  to  a  Sunday-school  picnic." 

A   CHANGED   SON   AND   CHANGED    FATHER. 

Among  the  persons  who  united  with  Osaka  church  last  summer  was  a  re- 
nowned Japanese  physician.  This  is  the  story  Mr.  Curtis  tells  of  the  way  in 
which  he  and  his  household  became  Christians  :  — 

"  This  physician  had  two  boys,  the  oldest  being  a  troublesome  fellow ;  decid- 
edly a  bad  boy.  When  about  thirteen  years  old  he  ran  away  from  home.  The 
father  turned  to  the  Christians,  with  whom  he  had  become  somewhat  intimate, 
for  advice.  They  said  :  '  Send  the  boy  to  the  Christian  school  in  Kioto.  If  he 
learns  of  "this  way"  his  heart  may  become  changed,  and  he  become  a  good 
boy.'  So  his  father  sent  the  boy  there,  and  sure  enough,  he  became  another 
boy  —  gentle  and  good,  and  his  father  was  sure  that  a  religion  that  could  work 
such  a  change  is  worth  having.  He  attended  church  more  regularly  himself, 
had  Christians  come  and  hold  meetings  in  his  house,  and  teach  him,  his  wife, 
his  children,  his  servants,  and  now  they  all  believe." 

How  clearly  does  this  story  show  the  value  of  these  mission  schools  to  which 
the  young  people  in  our  Sabbath-schools  are  asked  to  contribute.  They  not 
only  save  the  children,  but  they  attract  and  save  the  parents  also. 

JAPANESE   CARRIAGES. 

A  few  years  ago  there  was  not  in  all  Japan  such  a  thing  as  a  wheeled  car- 
riage. Perhaps  one  reason  was  that  there  were  few  animals  to  draw  wagons, 
had  there  been  any.  Some  dozen  years  ago  an  Englishman  in  Japan  fastened 


A   JAPANESE   JINRIKISHA. 

an  arm-chair  on  a  pair  of  wheels,  and  employed  a  coolie  to  draw  him  about. 
The  Japanese  caught  the  idea  at  once,  and  constructed  carts  with  two  wheels, 
like  the  one  here  represented,  calling  them  jinrikishas.  These  carriages  are 
now  found  in  all  the  principal  cities  of  Japan,  and  furnish  a  very  ready  and 
comfortable  mode  of  traveling. 


REJECTED  IDOLS. 


BY   RE\\    J.    H.    DE  FOREST,    OSAKA,    JAPAN. 


WHILE  I  was  in  the  seminary  at  Yale,  the  subject  of  missions  was  frequently 
brought  forward  in  our  conversations.  "  Well,"  said  one  of  my  classmates,  "  if 
you  go,  remember  I  want  the  first  bushel  of  idols  you  persuade  the  heathen  to 
give  up." 

Six  years  have  gone  by  since  landing  in  Japan,  and  as  day  after  day  I 
have  seen  the  people  worship  pretty  much  even-thing,  —  the  sun,  moon,  huge 
bronze  and  stone  idols,  men  both  living  and  dead,  wee  little  idols,  waterfalls, 
bits  of  paper,  pictures  of  horses,  monkeys, 
foxes,  etc.,  —  I  have  often  had  a  desire  to 
gather  a  few  bushels,  and  send  them  where 
they  would  be  a  standing  proof  of  the  fact 
that  the  people  of  Japan  are  turning  from 
idols  to  the  living  and  true  God.  So,  hap- 
pening one  night  to  be  in  Kioto  just  as  our 
school  was  closing  for  summer  vacation,  I 
gladly  attended  their  social  gathering  in  the 
gymnasium,  and  with  others  made  a  little 
speech,  telling  the  Christians  of  my  desire 
to  collect  some  of  their  discarded  gods,  and 
give  them  a  taste  of  a  sea-voyage  to  America, 
and  the  benefit  of  foreign  travel.  I  cautioned 
them  against  bringing  me  any  strapping  big 
fellows,  whose  freight  would  cost  me  a 
month's  salary,  but  expressed  a  perfect  will- 
ingness to  receive  proper-sized  gods  in  a 
moderate  quantity,  together  with  any  ma- 
chinery for  worship  that  might  go  with  them. 

The  next  day  one  of  the  Kioto  Christians 
sent  me  about  a  peck  of  jolly  idols  that  had 
been  in  his  family  for  many  generations. 
Here  they  are  :  first,  Ycbisu,  with  a  large  fish 
under  his   arm.     This  particular  fish  is  a 
universal   sign  of  rejoicing,  and  no  merry- 
making is  complete  without  it.     How  many  hundreds  of  these  fish  they  gave 
General  Grant  to  eat  while  he  was  here  !      He  must  have  been  filled  with 
joy  from  morning  till  night  for  three  months,  if  fish  could  do   it.      Next  to 


244 


Rejected  Idols. 


Yebisu  comes  Daikoku,  sitting  on  two  bags  of  rice,  and  smiling  as  he  throws  his 
gifts  to  those  who  worship  him.  By  the  side  of  Daikoku  is  another  god.  The 
artist  has  drawn  its  exact  size.  This  is  Kato,  one  of  the  generals  who  con- 
quered Corea  about  three  hundred  years  ago. 
One  with  poor  eyes,  wanting  to  worship  this 
Kato,  would  have  to  look  sharp  to  find  him. 
The  man  who  had  spent  many  scores  of  dol- 
lars in  fixing  up  this  peck  of  gods,  has  already 
opened  a  large  house  for  a  permanent  church- 
building,  and  besides  that  is  building  the  first 
church  in  this  city  to  rent  it  cheaply  to  the 
Christians,  he,  too,  paying  a  generous  share. 
His  business  was  renting  stage-clothing  - 
to  the  theaters,  but  as  he  found  it  un-  J||^ 
worthy  of  a  Christian,  as  well  as  impos-  £== 
sible  to  keep  Sunday,  he  has  sold  out,  Kato,  the 
and  is  an  applicant  for  baptism.  General. 

Then  here  is  Bishamon.    Last  winter  one  of 
my  preaching  places  was  in  a  dark  alley,  not 

six  feet  wide,  where  the  houses  are  thick  and  meanly  built.  I  asked  the  tenant 
if  he  used  to  worship  idols.  Laughing,  he  went  to  the  closet,  and  taking  down 
this  cheap  little  god-house,  said,  '  I  threw  it  up  there  a  few 
months  ago  ;  we  don't  use  it  any  more.  We  paid  fifty  sen 
for  this  Bishamon,  and  his  lantern  is  now  at  the  door  to 
guide  people  here  to  study  Christianity."  A  few  days 
later  he  brought  me  the  god  and  lantern,  saying  that  now 
he  had  a  new  lantern  with  "The  True  Way  Taught  Here," 
on  it.  This  man  is  now  a  Bible-seller,  and  —  to  show 
what  he  is  doing  —  yesterday 
he  sold  about  seventy-five  por- 
tions of  Scripture  from  the 
new  Bible-cart  that  Dr.  Gulick 
has  had  made  expressly  for 
Osaka. 

Not  long  ago  a  wealthy 
man  sent  me  about  a  barrel 
full  of  idols,  shrines,  sacred 
books,  charms,  and  praying 
machinery.  Among  them  is 
the  beautiful  god-house,  rep- 
resented on  the  next  page, 

THE  LANTERN  •    i    -j        vu  u  j       •    ui  THE    POOR   MAN'S    BISHAMON. 

inlaid  with  gold,  and  richly 

lacquered.  This  same  Mr.  Bishamon  resides  within,  and  his  horrid  messenger 
—  the  centipede  — is  painted  on  the  doors,  as  it  is  on  the  lantern.  By  the  way, 
there  are  seven  gods  of  good  luck  in  Japan,  all  exceedingly  popular.  In  teach- 
ing the  tenth  commandment,  I  say,  "  Man  is  naturally  covetous,  and  the  Jap- 
anese are  no  exception.  The  wide  worship  of  Bishamon,  Yebisu,  Daikoku,  and 
the  rest  of  your  gods  of  luck,  shows,  beyond  any  need  of  argument,  that  the 


Rejected  Idols. 


245 


hearts  of  the  Japanese  are  covetous,  and  that  they  need  the  gospel  of  giving 
as  an  antidote." 

Six  years  ago,  up  on  the  lake  beyond  Kioto,  there  lived  a  gambler,  whose 
wicked  tricks  had  brought  many  a  man  to  ruin.  His  crimes  at  last  so  enraged 
the  people  that  he  was  banished  from  the  town.  Coming  back  after  a  season, 
he  heard  that  the  Jesus-religion  had  found  an  entrance,  and  wishing  to  get  a 
new  joke  to  amuse  his  drinking  friends  with,  he  went  to  church.  He  found 


THE    RICH    MAN'S    BISHAMON. 

more  than  he  bargained  for,  namely,  that  he  was  a  sinner,  and  that  he  needed 
the  new  way.  Repenting,  he  became  one  of  the  most  devoted  Christians  in 
Hikone.  But  his  reckless,  ruinous  life  had  fastened  on  him  a  fatal  disease,  and 
when  I  went  there  last  spring,  he  was  weak,  and  dying  of  consumption.  Among 
his  interesting  remarks  was  this :  "  Since  my  sickness  has  increased,  the  priest 

of  the  temple  where  I  used  to  worship 
kindly  sent  me  this  charm,  saying  that 
if  I  'd  come  back  and  worship  as  be- 
fore, this  charm  would  cure  me.  But 
I  don't  agree  with  him,  and  I  present 

THE  GAMBLER'S  CHARM.  it  to  you."     The  old  gambler  is  buried, 

and  this  little  goiden-cased  charm  is  one  of  the  many  proofs  of  a  life  that  had 
become  new  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Seven  years  ago  the  acting  pastor  and  myself  were  invited  to  a  doctor's  house 
to  preach.  The  doctor  had  one  wife  too  many  to  allow  of  his  being  a  Christian, 
and  so  we  were  not  invited  any  more.  But  recently  he  came  to  ask  for  baptism, 
saying  that  his  wives  were  reduced  to  one,  his  daughter  was  in  the  girls'  school, 
and  his  idols  were  boxed  up  to  be  thrown  away,  sold,  or  burned.  I  offered  to 
receive  them,  and  he  readily  promised  to  send  them  around.  The  next  morning 
a  coolie  came,  bringing  about  a  bushel  and  a  half  of  unwashed  gods,  ancestral 
tablets,  and  incense  brazier.  You  notice  this  happy  old  clay  god,  who  always 
smiles  impartially  on  both  missionary  and  heathen.  Wife  and  I  smiled  just 


246 


Rejected  Idols. 


about  as  much  as  this  Hotel,  as  we  saw  him  come  into  our  front  door.     One 
of  the  gods  that  was  brought,  Kuwanon,  has  hands  enough  to  play  all  the 


A    LOAD   OF   IDOLS  FOR   THE    MISSIONARY. 

known  stringed  instruments  at  once,  and  then  have  enough  left  to  gain  an 

ample  living. 

But  I  cannot  write  up  all  my  idols.     These,  with  many  others,  I  shall  send  to 

Yale.  For  I  cannot  forget,  though  the  pleasant  yet  perplexing  work  crowds 
ceaselessly  upon  time  and  strength,  I  cannot  forget  the  joy- 
ous days  at  Yale,  and  the  life  in  the  seminary  where  my 
first  thoughts  of  foreign  missions  sprang  up.  I  hope  that 
these  idols  may  be  given  a  place  in  the  Peabody  Museum, 
and  that  there  they  may  speak  so  perpetually  of  the  lust 
and  lies,  the  folly  and  moral  degradation  of  the  millions 
who  yet  have  had  no  kind  voice  teaching  them  of  purity 
and  truth  and  liberty  from  sin,  that  many  a  student  may 
be  touched  with  God's  call,  and,  commissioned  by  Christ, 
go  forth  to  help  fulfill  his  last  command. 


KUWANON. 


Say  to  the  heathen  from  thy  throne, 
"  I  am  Jehovah,  God  alone," 

Thy  voice  their  idols  shall  confound, 
And  cast  their  altars  to  the  ground. 


YEMA. 


BY   REV.    J.    H.    DE  FOREST,    OSAKA,    JAPAX. 


MUCH  has  been  written  about  the  temples  of  Japan  —  their  idols  great  and 
small ;  their  sweet-toned  bells ;  their  jolly  priests,  and  their  ways  of  worship. 
But  even  the  best  books  tell  us  very  little  about  the  Yema,  or  sacred  pictures, 
that  hang  in  the  temple  galleries.  I  have  spent  hours  again  and  again  in 
studying  these  paintings,  and  in  learning  the  meanings  of  them  from  the  chatty 
worshipers.  And  since  they  have  given  me  so  much  pleasure,  as  well  as 


,« 


A    TEMPERANCE    PLEDGE. 

insight  into  the  Japanese  character,  I  gladly  turn  showman  for  a  few  moments, 
and  exhibit  some  pictures  that  were  copied  for  me  by  Mr.  Yonedzu,  a  Christian, 
whose  sketches  have  appeared  in  other  pages  of  this  volume. 

The  first  one  is  a  sa£t-cup  on  a  little  tray.  Right  over  the  cup  is  a  Japanese 
padlock,  locked  tight,  and  the  key  thrown  away.  The  two  large  Chinese 
characters  over  the  cup  mean,  Respectfully  offered.  You  see  these  characters 
on  all  the  temple  pictures.  At  the  left  of  the  cup  are  two  more  characters 


248 


Ycma. 


meaning,  Sworn  off  from  sake.  Here  then  was  a  poor  fellow  whose  love  of 
strong  drink  was  conquering  him.  He  had  tried  and  tried  to  be  moderate, 
or  to  be  a  total  abstainer ;  but  he  found  himself  weak,  unable  to  break  the 
habit.  He  knew,  as  every  drunkard  everywhere  knows,  that  he  must  have 
help,  or  miserably  perish.  So  he  went  to  the  temple  of  his  god  and  publicly 
offered  this  temperance  pledge.  This  is  his  prayer  for  Divine  help. 

Now  foreigners  who  visit  Japan,  of  course  visit  the  temples.  They  see 
such  pictures  as  this  but  they  cannot  interpret  them.  Then  some  of  them  write 
home  that  drunkenness  is  unseen,  almost  unknown,  in  Japan  !  Well,  look 
at  this  picture  again,  and  notice  the  spots  all  over  it.  You  have  heard  that 
the  Japanese  have  paper  prayers  that  they  chew  and  throw  at  their  gods. 
Not  only  their  gods,  but  these  votive  pictures  also  are  often  covered  with 
these  spit-ball  prayers.  Among  the  pilgrims  to  this  temple  are  those  who 
seeing  this  locked  sake-cup  have  said,  "Ah,  this  is  just  what  I  need."  And 


THE   GAMBLERS    REFORMATION. 

so  dozens  of  them  have  thrown  their  soft,  moist  prayers  into  it,  and  asked 
for  like  strength  from  above.  A  friend  whom  I  took  to  the  temple  expressly 
to  see  this  picture  was  so  taken  with  the  story  that,  though  its  original  value 
is  not  over  ten  or  fifteen  cents,  he  tried  to  buy  it  of  the  priests  with  the  generous 
offer  of  $25.  But  it  hangs  there  yet. 

The  picture  above  is  of  a  man  on  his  knees,  breaking  to  pieces  some  dice.  He 
is  a  gambler.  He  has  been  drawn  gradually  into  the  fascinating  game,  until 
at  last,  reckless  in  his  plays,  he  has  lost  everything.  He  comes  to  himself  and 
sees  that  he  must  give  up  at  once  this  cursed  habit,  and,  to  make  it  sure, 
he  offers  this  picture  of  himself  to  his  god.  In  the  original  picture  his  wife 
and  child  stand  behind  him,  adding  their  prayers  to  his  that  the  god  will  hear 
his  vow 


Ytma. 


249 


Sometimes  in  these  votive  pictures  of  reformation  there  is  a  sty  reservation 
written  on  one  side,  Good  for  Jkx  years.  And  I  have  been  told  that  while 
the  memory  of  former  suffering  is  keen,  and  the  superstitious  fear  remains, 
the  vow  will  be  kept.  But  as  the  old  desire  grows  stronger  with  continual 


A  SAILOR'S  THANK-OFFERING. 

temptations,  the  reformed  man  will  sometimes  say,  •'  I  Ye  kept  my  vow  a  year : 
four  years  are  left.  That  will  make  eight  years  of  days,  and  leave  me  the 
nights  for  drinking  and  gambling." 

We  come  next  to  two  pictures  of  thanksgiving.  A  sailor  has  had  a  pros- 
perous voyage.  The  Rising  Sun  has  daily  greeted  him,  and  favoring  breezes 
have  filled  his  sails.  He  thinks  it  a  duty  and  privilege  to  acknowledge  the  favor 
of  his  god  with  this  pic- 
ture of  his  junk.  There 
are  thousands  of  these 
hung  in  the  temples  of 
Japan. 

We  reserve  this  wife 
for  the  last  of  this  grate- 
ful group.  Both  she 
and  her  husband  have 
suffered  terribly  from 
toothache.  The  softest 
food  made  them  jump 
with  pain.  But,  thanks 
to  their  gods,  they  have  --=  ==£"=;  = 


250 


Yema. 


not  only  recovered,  but  are  so  strong  in  their  mouths  that  they  can  hold  between 
the  teeth,  without  a  pang,  a  four-pronged  anchor  of  a  Japanese  junk.  Why  the 
husband  has  painted  only  his  wife  with  this  trial  in  her  mouth  we  cannot  tell. 
Last  of  all  conies  a  picture  of  a  dream.  This  hard-working  farmer  lies  sleeping 
under  his  heavy  comfortable,  with  his  head  on  his  wooden  pillow.  In  his  dream 
he  sees  these  frisky  foxes  jumping  joyfully  across  his  bed  and  through  the  air  — 
their  tails  out  straight  and  their  mouths  splitting  with  fox-laughter.  When 
the  farmer  wakes  up  he  too  will  laugh,  for  the  fox  is  the  messenger  of  the 


THE   FARMER'S    DREAM. 

god  of  rice,  and  to  see  a  messenger  of  any  of  the  gods  is  a  sign  of  good  luck. 
There  are  cart-loads  of  such  pictures  in  these  temples  —  dreamers  with 
monstrous  snakes  crawling  around  them,  dreamers  with  poisonous  centipedes 
in  their  bosoms!  Then  instead  of  waking  thankful  that  it  wasn't  true,  as  we 
should,  they  awake  glad  to  have  been  honored  with  a  dream  of  the  messengers 
of  the  gods.  Here  are  some  more  of  those  spit-ball  prayers,  which  I  never  see 
without  thinking  that  if  it  had  been  the  style  to  worship  that  way  when  I  was 
a  boy,  and  the  district  school-teacher  had  been  the  god,  I  should  have  —  well, 
never  mind.  And  I  think,  too,  that  these  dreamers  of  beasts  and  reptiles  are 
waking  up  out  of  this  nonsense  of  ages.  They  are  already  beginning  to  laugh 
at  themselves.  And  when  they  once  use  the  reason  God  has  given  them,  their 
repentance,  their  gratitude,  and  their  desires  will  find  a  truer  and  nobler 
expression  than  by 


THE  DEFORMED  GIRL -A  STORY  FROM  JflPflN. 


[INTRODUCTORY  NOTE.  —  It  is  well  known  that  Japanese  women,  as  soon  as  they  become  wives,  shave  their  eye- 
brows and  blacken  their  teeth.  The  customs  of  Europe  and  America  have  begun  to  tell  against  this  foolish  practice, 
and  the  reform  is  especially  noticeable  in  our  Christian  assemblies.  But  Mr.  Fukuzawa  has  set  the  women  to 
laughing  at  themselves  in  a  little  tract  that  is  having  wide  influence.  This  gentleman,  having  been  in  America 
with  the  Embassy,  was  wonderfully  taken  with  what  he  saw  and  learned,  and  on  his  return  to  Japan  he  opened 
a  private  school  at  Tokio.  His  brilliant  writings,  and  the  unusual  popu'arity  of  his  school,  have  gained  him 
a  name  among  the  millions  of  Japan.  Since  he  has  so  large  an  audience  here,  he  is  worthy  of  an  introduction  to 
the  friends  of  Japan  in  America.  Those  who  read  the  following  ridiculous  story,  if  the  translation  comes  any- 
where near  the  original,  will  hardly  fail  to  remember  Mr.  Fukuzawa. — J.  H.  DEFOREST,  Osaka,  Japan.] 

IN  a  wealthy  home  a  baby  was  born  with  a  face  and  form  that  no  one  could 
find  any  fault  with.  She  was  perfect,  only  she  had  no  eyebrows.  While  she  was 
a  mere  infant  this  did  not  attract  any  especial  attention,  but  in  the  course  of 
eight  or  nine  months  her  front  teeth  began  to  come,  one  or  two  at  a  time,  and 
they  came  black.  In  a  year  or  so  more  her  upper  and  lower  teeth  all  appeared, 
and  every  one  of  them  black  as  if  dyed  with  ink.  The  neighbors,  while  not 
thinking  much  about  it,  occasionally  remarked  upon  the  fact.  "  Very  likely 
decayed  teeth,"  they  thought,  and  went  no  deeper  into  the  subject. 

But  the  parents  all  the  while  were  sadly  perplexed  over  the  fact  that,  though 
the  world  is  full  of  deformed  people,  they  never  yet  had  heard  of  such  a  thing 
as  an  eyebrowless-  child,  nor  could  they  imagine  what  sins  the  child  had  com- 
mitted in  a  former  state  of  existence  that  could  account  for  the  color  of  the 
teeth.  So,  unknown  to  others,  the  parents  grieved  in  their  hearts,  yet  hoped  that 
whatever  became  of  the  eyebrows,  the  second  teeth  would  come  white  like 
those  of  ordinary  folks.  But  when  the  child  became  seven  or  eight  years  old, 
lo  !  contrary  to  the  parents'  hopes,  all  the  second  teeth  came  even  blacker 
than  ink  —  as  black  as  lacquer  itself. 

Time,  like  an  arrow,  went  swiftly  by,  and  the  spring  of  her  fourteenth  year 
found  the  maiden  gentle  in  all  her  manners  and  bubbling  over  with  loving  ways. 
But  the  lack  of  eyebrows  and  the  black  teeth  made  the  parents  almost  despair. 

At  last  the  neighbors  could  no  longer  overlook  these  things.  They  began  to 
point  their  fingers  and  talk  about  the  girl.  .  The  mouths  of  these  ignorant 
creatures  took  up  the  eyebrow  matter  and  gabbled  over  it  in  this  wise  :  "  There 
can  be  no  doubt  about  it ;  the  blood  of  the  lepers  is  in  her  veins.  It 's  too  bad. 
She  '11  soon  lose  both  her  precious  complexion  and  her  pretty  face."  "  Well,  say 
what  you  like  about  leprosy  having  ruined  her  eyebrows,  the  color  of  her  teeth, 
too,  is  very  suspicious.  What  horrible  sin  could  the  parents  have  committed  in 
a  former  existence  that  made  them  give  birth  to  such  a  strange  piece  of  deform- 
ity? Her  ancestors  for  generations  have  been  selling  charcoal  at  a  high  price, 
and  eating  rice  out  of  their  big  profits.  Black  charcoal  and  white  rice  !  This 


252 


The  Deformed  Girl. 


girl  is  their  reward  for  all  their  frauds,  is  n't  she  ?  "  "  Well,  if  it  is  n't  as  you 
say,  here 's  another  way  of  accounting  for  it :  They  Ve  always  loaned  lots  of 
money,  but  whenever  a  debtor  failed  to  meet  the  time,  these  people  never  once 


JAPANESE  GIRLS. 

were  known  to  have  enough  pity  to  look  kindly  and  show  their  white  teeth  ;  and 
it's  that  mean  trait  in  the  family  that  has  made  them  have  a  black-toothed 
girl." 

Thus  this  wealthy  home  was  the  sport  of  these  chatterboxes.      They  had  one 
more  idea,  too,  that  was  suggested  by  somebody  who  had  learned  a  little   of 


The  Deformed  Girl. 


253 


Western  science  :  "  The  Creator  made  eyebrows  and  white  teeth  to  beautify  the 
face.     But  that  is  n't  all.     Eyebrows  are  nature's  tools  to  ward  off  excessive  sun- 


light In  case  one  had  no  eyebrows,  the  sun's  rays  coming  directly  from  above 
would  be  the  origin  of  countless  eye-diseases.  So  everywhere  in  tropical 
countries  where  the  rays  of  the  sun  are  intense,  people's  eyebrows  are  bushy, 
while  in  cold  climates  they  are  scant.  Now,  since  the  Creator  had  such  profound 


254  The  Deformed  Girl. 

designs  in  making  eyebrows,  to  be  without  a  trace  of  hair  over  the  eyes  must 
show  that  the  family  are  made  up  of  such  sinners  as  even  heaven  can't  bear  to 
behold." 

These  things  came  to  the  parents'  ears  and  added  yet  more  to  their  grief. 
They  could  no  longer  compare  their  child  to  pearls  and  flowers.  Here  she  was, 
simply  an  only  daughter,  of  marriageable  age,  and  yet  nobody  wanted  her.  They 
besought  the  doctors,  they  prayed  the  gods,  to  make  the  girl's  teeth  white,  and 
to  cause  her  eyebrows  to  grow.  If  it  only  could  be  done,  to  grudge  their  whole 
fortune  would  be  folly,  and  they  would  not  shrink  from  giving  even  their  lives. 
They  exhausted  every  possible  device,  but  all  in  vain. 

Months  and  years  went  by  and,  strange  to  tell,  the  talk  about  the  girl  gradu- 
ally died  out.  And  when  she  was  twenty  years  old  there  was  not  a  single  person 
who  cared  to  bring  up  the  old  nonsensical  charges.  It  was  as  though  everybody 
had  entirely  forgotten  the  misfortune.  Then  the  parents,  with  deep  joy,  looked 
around  and  found  a  suitable  son-in-law,  gave  him  the  house  and  the  girl,  and 
retired  from  business.  When  once  the  disfigured  daughter  became  a  wife,  there 
was  no  fault  to  find  with  the  black  teeth  and  eyebrowless  face.  It  was  just 
the  thing.  So  these  long  years  of  anxiety  ended,  leaving  no  trace  of  sorrow. 

Well,  we  may  say  that  the  girl's  misfortune  has  resulted  in  her  good  fortune. 
If  such  a  girl  had  been  born  in  America  or  Europe  she  never  could  have  been 
married.  How  fortunate  that  she  was  born  in  Japan,  where  there  are  thousands 
of  just  such  disfigured  women.  She  has  now  become  a  wife  just  like  the  rest  of 
wives.  She  used  to  be  an  unfortunate,  but  now  that  she  has  become  a  wife, 
those  only  who  knew  her  early  days  will  call  her  deformed,  while  those  who  don't 
know  her  will  never  suspect  that  she  differs  in  the  least  from  the  other  wives  who 
shave  their  eyebrows  and  blacken  their  teeth.  And  really  the  only  difference  is 
that  the  others  use  razors  and  teeth-dye,  and  thus  wasting  time  and  money,  at 
last  succeed  in  making  their  pretty  faces  ugly,  while  this  girl  being  born  so  — 
virtually  made  to  order  in  this  way  —  does  n't  have  to  use  a  razor  or  buy  any  teeth- 
dye.  Really  it  is  wonderful  how  women  everywhere  try  to  beautify  themselves  by 
disfiguring  their  hair  and  by  extravagant  dress.  They  even  borrow  clothes  to 
make  the  greater  show,  and  yet,  without  the  least  reluctance,  part  with  their 
heaven-bestowed  adoraings,  and  act  as  though  they  really  meant  to  see  how  ugly 
they  can  make  themselves.  Is  not  this  a  most  thoughtless  thing  to  do,  since  the 
whole  body  —  skin,  hair,  and  all  —  is  heaven's  gift  ? 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  RISING  SUN. 


OXE  of  the  most  interesting  books  we  have  seen  for  many  a  day  is  Miss 
Bird's  "  Unbeaten  Tracks  in  Japan,"  in  which  she  describes  her  travels  up  and 
down  the  Empire  of  the  Mikado.  We  have  given  quite  a  large  proportion  of 
these  pages  to  that  land,  but  as  the  publishers  of  Miss  Bird's  volumes,  G.  P. 
Putnam's  Sons,  of  New  York,  have  kindly  granted  the  use  of  several  of  the 


M^ 

[^ 


ILLAGE   ON   THE  TOKAIOO,   NEAR    MT.   FUJI. 


illustrations,  we  gladly  refer  again  to  that  wonderfully  interesting  nation,  and  to 
some  things  this  writer  tells  us  about  it.  Most  travelers  tell  us  much  of  scenes 
on  the  Tokaido,  the  great  highway  between  Tokio  and  Kioto,  and  of  Fuji,  the 
"  Matchless  Mountain,"  and  of  the  cities  and  open  ports,  but  Miss  Bird  takes  us 
into  out-of-the-way  places,  and  describes  people  and  customs  that  few  foreigners 
have  ever  seen. 


256 


The  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun. 


THE   AINOS    OF    YEZO. 

Of  the  four  principal  islands  comprising  Japan,  Yezo  is  the  most  northern. 
While  more  than  half  as  large  as  New  England,  Yezo  has  but  123,000  inhabi- 
tants. It  is  a  rough,  wild  region,  with  a  cold  winter,  and  in  the  mountains  and 
forests  of  the  interior  wild  animals,  especially  deer  and  bears,  abound.  The 
chief  city  of  the  island  is  Hakodate,  and  northeast  of  this  port,  toward  the 
interior,  is  Satsuporo,  where  the  Japanese  government  has  established  a  college 
on  the  model  of  the  Agricultural  College  of  Massachusetts.  Many  of  the 
students  in  this  college,  under  the  instruction  of  the  American  teachers,  have 
become  Christians,  and  it  is  hoped  have  learned  how  to  work  wisely,  not  only 
in  the  soil,  but  also  in  the  Lord's  vineyard. 

Living  close  by  the  Japanese  population  of  Yezo,  yet  quite  distinct  from 
them,  is  a  singular  race  of  people  called  the  Ainos.  It  is  commonly  supposed 
that  they  were  the  original  inhabitants  of  Japan,  and  that  they  were  conquered 
and  driven  into  their  present  northern  home  by  the  stronger  race  which  now 
peoples  the  land,  just  as  the  Indians  of  North  America  have  retreated  into  the 
western  wilds  before  the  white  man.  Comparatively  little  has  been  known  of 
these  Ainos,  but  Miss  Bird  spent  many  days  among  them,  living  in  the  house  of 
a  village  chief,  and  talking  with  them  freely  of  all  their  affairs.  That  she  could 

do  this,  having  but 
a  single  Japanese 
attendant,  and  re- 
ceive nothing  but 
courtesy  and  kind- 
ness from  young 
and  old,  shows  that 
they  are  not  savage 
in  disposition,  how- 
ever rude  their 
mode  of  life  may 
be. 

A  common  name 
given  this  people  is 
the  "  Hairy  Ainos," 
since  the  first  point 
that  strikes  a 

stranger  is  the  abundance  of  their  flowing  locks.  Miss  Bird  thus  describes 
them  :  "  The  men  are  about  the  middle  height,  broad-chested,  broad-shouldered, 
thick-set,  very  strongly  built,  the  arms  and  legs  short,  thick,  and  muscular,  the 
hands  and  feet  large.  The  bodies,  and  especially  the  limbs,  of  many  are  covered 
with  short  bristly  hair.  I  have  seen  two  boys  whose  backs  are  covered  with  fur 
as  fine  and  soft  as  that  of  a  cat.  The  heads  and  faces  are  very  striking.  The 
foreheads  are  very  high,  broad,  and  prominent The  eyes  are  large,  tol- 
erably deeply  set,  and  very  beautiful,  the  color  a  rich  liquid  brown,  the  expres- 
sion singularly  soft,  and  the  eyelashes  long,  silky,  and  abundant.  The  skin  has 
an  Italian  olive  tint.  The  teeth  are  small,  regular,  and  very  white." 

These,  then,  are  quite  magnificent  savages,  and  when  it  is  added  that  their 


AINO  HOUSES. 


TJif  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun,  257 

voices  are  peculiarly  soft  and  musical,  and  their  smile  sweet  and  gentle  as  that 
of  a  woman,  we  wonder  how  it  is  possible  for  them  to  be  so  degraded  and 
stupid.  They  know  nothing  of  their  history,  their  tradition  being  that  they 
descended  from  a  dog.  The  Japanese  call  them  dogs.  They  live  by  fishing 
and  hunting,  and  seem  like  grown  up  children,  having  little  care  about  the  past 


or  future,  and  but  little  more  care  for  the  present  than  some  animals  have. 
Their  language  is  very  simple,  but  not  written  ;  they  are  clad,  but  only  in  skins 
and  garments  made  from  bark,  and  they  seem  to  have  almost  no  ideas  about 
God,  or  of  spiritual  things.  Their  idols,  of  which  there  are  several  in  each 
house,  are  very  rude,  consisting  simply  of  small  sticks  of  wood,  the  upper  ends 
of  which  are  cut  into  shavings,  so  that  they  look  not  unlike  small  and  coarse 


258  The  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun. 

wooden  brooms.  Before  these  gods  the  people  often  wave  their  hands  and 
pour  out  offerings  of  sake,  their  favorite  drink ;  but  they  have  no  temples  in 
which  they  meet  for  worship.  Aside  from  these  sticks  of  whittled  wood,  the 
Ainos  pay  some  sort  of  homage,  which  may,  perhaps,  be  called  worship,  to  the 
sun  and  moon  and  sea,  and  also  to  the  bear,  an  animal  which  abounds  in  Yezo, 
and  which  is  hunted  continually.  Each  year  a  cub  is  captured,  and  fed  until 
autumn,  when  a  great  religious  festival  is  held,  and  the  bear  is  let  loose,  and 
after  a  long  fight,  in  which  all  the  people  engage,  is  killed  and  eaten  amid  great 
uproar  and  drunkenness. 

The  people  who  worship  in  this  rude  way  we  might  be  sure  would  have  little 
thought  about  the  future.  They  seem  to  have  some  faint  notion  that  the  soul 
passes  into  another  form  after  death,  but  they  have  a  great  dread  of  death  and 


INTERIOR   OF  AN    AINO    HOUSE 

of  places  of  burial.  They  will  not  follow  their  game  if  it  happens  to  fall  near 
a  grave.  When  asked  about  their  ideas  of  the  future,  one  of  them  said,  "  How 
can  we  know  ?  No  one  ever  came  back  to  tell  us."  Ought  not  Christians  to 
let  these  people  know  of  One  who  has  come  from  heaven  to  tell  us  about  the 
life  beyond  ? 

AINOS   AT   HOME. 

The  picture  above  represents  an  Aino  family  in  their  home.  Each  house  has 
one  room,  with  walls  of  reed  and  roof  of  thatch.  There  is  a  slight  platform  in 
one  part  of  the  house,  covered  with  a  mat,  on  which  the  family  sleep.  They  sit 
on  the  floor,  the  fire  being  in  a  hole  at  the  center,  while  the  smoke  finds  its  way 
through  an  opening  in  the  roof.  Their  food  is  cooked  in  the  single  iron  pot  in 
which  all  sorts  of  edibles,  roots,  vegetables,  fish,  flesh,  including  slugs  and  sea- 
weed, are  stewed  together.  The  people  are  very  polite  in  their  manners,  and 


The  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun* 


259 


often  salute  each  other  in  a  formal  but  graceful  way,  by  extending  their  hands 
and  waving  them  inwards,  and  then  stroking  their  heavy  beards.  It  is  said 
that  even  little  children  just  able  to  walk  never  enter  or  leave  a  house  with- 
out a  formal  salutation  to  every  person  in  it,  the  mother  alone  coccepted.  This 
latter  fact  shows  sufficiently  how  little  care  is  had  for  the  women.  They  work 
all  the  time  and  attend  to  all  the  drudgery.  How  quickly  would  the  gospel, 
should  the  Ainos  receive  it,  lift  these  poor  women  out  of  the  degradation  in 
which  they  live ! 

With  all  their  politeness  and  hospitality  these  people  are  terribly  addicted  to 
strong  drink.  They  consume  immense  quantities  of  sake,  an  intoxicating  beer 
of  which  they  drink  all  they  can  get.  The  habit  of  drinking,  though  indulged  in, 
is  ordinarily  believed,  even  by  those  who  indulge  it,  to  be  opposed  to  religion, 
but  among  the  Ainos  it  is  part  of  religion.  They  have  no  idea  that  they  could 
perform  any  worship  without  first  "drinking  to  the  gods,"  and  their  highest 
notion  of  happiness  is  to  have  enough  sake  to  make  them  all  drunk.  How  far 
from  truth  and  from  God  do  men  go  who  have  not  the  light  of  the  gospel ! 

A   BUDDHIST   SERVICE. 

There  are  two  principal  forms  of  religion  prevailing  in  Japan,  Shintoism 
and  Buddhism.  The  former  is  peculiar  to  Japan,  but  the  latter  has  millions  of 
followers  in  China,  Bur- 
mah,  and  India.  There 
are  said  to  be  68,000  Bud- 
dhist temples  and  shrines 
in  Japan,  and  in  many  of 
them  very  imposing  ser- 
vices are  maintained.  The 
description  given  by  Miss 
Bird  of  one  such  service 
she  attended  at  Hakodate 
reminds  one  of  the  cere- 
monials of  the  Koman 
Catholic  church.  This  is 
her  account  of  it :  — 

"Very  low  and  sweet, 
though  heard  all  over  the 
city,  is  the  sound  of  the 
great  bronze  bell  which 
summons  the  hearers,  and 
exactly  at  three  o'clock 
the  priests  fold  back  the 
heavily-gilded  doors  of  the 
chancel  and  light  the  can- 
dles and  lamps  which  shed 
a  '  dim  religious  light '  through  the  gorgeous  interior,  revealing  the  high  altar, 
covered  with  an  altar-cloth  of  green  brocade,  and  sides  hung  with  white  brocade 
embroidered  with  gold.  On  the  low  altar  incense  ascends  between  vases  of 
white  flowers,  and  a  dreamy  sensuousness  pervades  the  whole  building." 


BUDDHIST   PRIESTS. 


260 


The  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun. 


Twelve  priests  elaborately  dressed  in  silk,  of  white  and  of  various  colors,  then 
kneel  with  their  backs  to  the  people.  "  Before  each  is  a  low  lacquer  desk  for 
the  service  books  and  the  sweet-toned  bells  which  accompany  service.  Two 
more  priests  kneel  at  the  side  of  the  altar.  A  bell  sounds,  fourteen  shaven 
heads  all  bowed  three  times  to  the  earth ;  more  lamps  are  lighted  ;  a  bell 
sounds  again,  and  then  litanies  are  chanted  monotonously,  with  bells  tinkling, 
and  the  people  responding,  at  intervals  in  a  tongue  to  them  unknown,  Namu 
Amida  Butsu.  After  an  hour  the  priests  glide  away  in  procession,  and  one  of 
those  who  has  been  kneeling  at  the  altar  mounts  a  square  pulpit  just  within 
the  rail  which  separates  them  from  the  people,  sits  down,  not  in  Japanese 
fashion,  but  cross-legged,  after  the  manner  of  the  founder  of  his  faith,  and 
preaches  for  an  hour  with  much  energy."  In  a  sermon  which  our  traveler 
heard  at  Niigata  from  one  of  the  priests,  he  described  the  Buddhist  hells,  and 
how  impure  souls  pass  into  the  bodies  of  one  hateful  beast  after  another,  per- 


THE    ROKKAKUDO  — A    TEMPLE  AT    KIOTO. 

haps  spending  thousands  of  years  in  these  various  transmigrations.  This  is 
the  Buddhist  belief  respecting  the  future,  but  it  seems  to  have  very  little  power 
to  keep  men  from  impure  lives.  To  die  and  lose  all  consciousness  is  their 
greatest  wish.  Their  idea  of  a  Saviour  is  of  one  who  can  save  them  from  liv- 
ing, not  one  who  can  give  them  eternal  life,  as  Christ  promises  to  do.  They 
have  no  conception  of  a  happy,  heavenly  home,  such  as  the  Bible  says  Jesus 
has  gone  to  prepare. 

There  is  in  all  the  world  nothing  that  gives  light  about  the  future  except 
the  Bible.  It  is  delightful  to  think  that  within  the  last  few  years  thousands  on 
thousands  of  copies  of  this  blessed  book  have  been  scattered  throughout  Japan. 
Translations  have  now  been  made  into  Japanese,  and  the  people  eagerly  buy 
them.  If  they  will  but  read  what  they  buy,  the  old  sad  notion  about  the  future 


The  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun, 


261 


will  give  place  to  purer  and  brighter  hopes.  And  they  will  learn  to  pray,  not  in 
a  blind,  but  reasonable  way.  The  picture  below  represents  a  method  of  pray- 
ing, in  vogue  in  some  parts  of  Japan,  for  the  soul  of  a 
mother  who  dies  when  her  first  child  is  born.  This 
mothers  soul,  according  to  Buddhist  belief,  must  re- 
main in  a  fearful  place  of  punishment,  the  Lake  of 
Blood,  until  she  is  rescued  by  prayer.  So  the  friends 
fasten  a  piece  of  cloth,  at  its  four  corners,  on  bamboo 
poles,  over  a  pool  of  water,  placing  a  dipper  near  by 
with  which  passers  can  pour  water  upon  the  cloth. 
This  pouring  of  water  is  a  prayer,  and  its  benefits  are 
supposed  to  be  applied  to  the  soul  of  the  young 
mother  whose  name  is  on  a  tablet  close  by.  And 
not  until  the  cloth  is  worn  or  decays  away  so  that  it 
will  no  longer  hold  any  water,  can  the  soul  be  delivered 
from  the  tortures  it  must  endure,  not  on  account  of 
any  sin,  but  solely  because  of  misfortune.  To  peo- 
ple among  whom  such  false  notions  of  justice  and  of 
prayer  prevail  we  are  seeking  to  :arry  the  blessed  gos- 
pel of  him  who  came  into  the  world  to  save  the  lost. 
Buddhism  and  Shintoism  do  not  help  men  while  they 
live,  or  comfort  them  when  they  die.  The  religion  of 

Jesus  Christ,  however,  can  do,  and  is  doing  in  Japan,         STRAW  RAIN  CLOAK. 
what  the  old  faiths  have  failed  to  do.     It  is  winning  many  converts,  and  it  is 

remarkable  how  most  of 
these  converts,  some  quite 
young  people  being  of  the 
number,  are  moved  to  tell 
of  the  new  religion  they 
have  received. 

Sixteen  years  since  the  first 
missionary  of  the  American 
Board  went  to  Japan.  Now 
we  have  28  churches  there, 
and  a  year  ago  there  were 
i, 800  church  members. 
Missionary  letters  from 
Japan  have  told  us  how  the 
young  men  from  the  Kioto 
school  went  out  '  joyfully 
during  their  summer  vaca- 
tions to  tell  of  Christ  from 
house  to  house,  often  having 
from  ten  to  eighty  hearers, 
and  also  how  some  of  the 
Christian  boys  from  Osaka 
THE  FLOWING  INVOCATION.  soid  a  great  many  Bibles  to 

those  who  had  never  seen  one.    Has  not  the  good  seed  grown  quickly  in  Japan  ? 


BELFRY  OF    BUDDHIST   TEMPLE,   OSAKA. 


MICRONESIA 


AND- 


"THE  MORNING  STAR." 


THE  mission  to  Micronesia  has  had  indispensable  assistance  in  its  work  from 
the  children's  ship,  the  Morning  Star.  Some  recent  reports  to  her  owners  are 
given  in  the  following  pages.  But  four  different  vessels  have  borne  this  name, 
and  a  brief  account  of  each  may  be  desirable. 

MORNING  STAR  No.  i  was  built  in  1856,  with  funds  provided  by  the  Sabbath- 
schools.  She  sailed  from  Boston  on  December  i  of  that  year  for  Honolulu, 
reaching  that  port  in  April,  1857.  After  ten  years' service  she  needed  such  ex- 
tensive repairs  that  she  was  sold  at  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Her  name  was 
changed  to  Harriet  Newell,  and  she  went  to  sea  and  was  never  heard  from. 

MORNING  STAR  No.  2  sailed  from  Boston  in  September,  1866.  This  ship 
was  wrecked  off  the  island  of  Kusaie,  Micronesia,  in  October,  1869,  where  the 
force  of  a  strong  current  drifted  her  ashore  during  a  calm.  No  lives  were  lost, 
and  no  blame  attached  to  the  officers.  Her  insurance  furnished  a  large  part 
of  the  cost  of  her  successor. 

MORNING  STAR  No.  3  set  sail  from  Boston  on  February  27,  1871,  and  continued 
to  supply  the  wants  and  cheer  the  hearts  of  the  brave  missionaries  on  those 
far-off  islands  for  thirteen  years,  until  she  also  was  wrecked  upon  Kusaie, 
February  22,  1884.  The  perils  and  delays  peculiar  to  that  region  amid  calms 
and  currents  and  in  entering  lagoons  had  long  made  the  missionaries  desire 
a  steamer.  When  it  was  heard  in  the  home-land  that  a  second  vessel  had 
suffered  a  wreck  which  could  have  been  avoided  by  steam-power,  the  duty  of 
providing  it  seemed  clear. 

MORNING  STAR  No.  4  was  therefore  built  as  a  barkentine  of  four  hundred 
and  thirty  tons  burden,  with  auxiliary  steam  attachment.  She  is  plain  but 
strong  and  beautiful,  and  thoroughly  fitted  for  her  peculiar  work.  She  sailed 
from  Boston  on  November  5,  1884,  and  reached  Honolulu  on  March  15,  1885. 
Already,  as  we  trust,  she  has  gladdened  the  waiting  isles  of  Micronesia,  and 
there  may  she  long  be  spared  to  hasten  the  coming  dawn  of  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness. 


MICRONESIA. 


MANY  of  the  young  people  who  are  specially  had  in  view  in  this  col- 
lection of  missionary  papers  will  remember  how,  in  1870,  when  they  were 
little  children,  they 
were  interested  in  the 
building  of  the  Morn- 
ing Star.  There  are 
many  who  cannot 
now  call  themselves 
young,  who  had  part 
in  building  the  first 
Morning  Star.  That 
was  in  1856.  There 
have  been  four  ves- 
sels bearing  this 
name,  all  serving  in 
the  same  good  work 
of  carrying  mission- 
aries, and  supplies 
for  them,  to  the  isl- 
ands of  the  Pacific 

Ocean,  five  thousand  miles  southwest  from  San  Francisco.  The  first  Mom- 
ing  Star  grew  old  in  the  service  and  was  sold,  and  another  one  was  built 
in  1866.  This  one  was  wrecked  on  the  island  of  Kusaie,  in  1869,  and  the 
third  Star  was  built  in  Boston,  in  1870.  She  too  was  wrecked  upon  Kusaie, 
February  22,  1884.  The  fourth  vessel  of  this  beloved  name  sailed  from 
Boston,  November  5,  1884.  And  now  about  the  regions  and  the  people 
to  which  she  has  gone. 

Micronesia  means  the  "  Little  Islands."  The  people  who  inhabit  them 
were  wild  and  dark,  both  in  mind  and  body.  Some  were  copper-colored, 
some  olive.  Their  eyes  were  black,  their  hair  black  and  straight,  and  their 
almost  naked  bodies  were  tattooed.  They  were  all  liars  and  thieves,  and 
were  cruel  to  old  people  and  to  women.  They  believed  in  spirits,  and  set 
up  stones  in  honor  of  them,  to  which  they  brought  offerings. 

HOW  THE  ISLANDS  LOOK. 

Most  of  them  were  built  by  the  coral  insect,  and  are  low  and  barren, 
lying  flat  upon  the  sea,  and  having  a  great  lagoon,  or  lake,  in  the  center. 
On  the  island  of  Apaiang  the  soil  is  so  poor  that,  even  in  that  tropical  cli- 
mate, there  are  only  twenty-five  kinds  of  growing  things,  including  every 


268 


Micronesia. 


shrub  and  weed.  Neither  horses,  cows,  nor  sheep  can  live  there  long.  So 
there  is  no  fresh  beef  or  mutton,  and  one  of  the  first  missionaries  nearly 
starved  on  Apaiang.  There  was  food,  but  it  was  not  of  a  kind  to  nour- 
ish him.  The  Morning  Star  arrived  just  as  he  was  sinking  away.  He 
was  carried  on  board,  and  fed  with  the  milk  of  a  cow  until  able  to  bear 
solid  food  :  and  so  his  life  was  saved. 

On  those  green  rings  of  coral  islands  there  are  no  hills,  or  streams  ;  few 
land-birds  and  few  flowers.  You  would  see  no  villages.  At  a  mission-sta- 
tion you  might  find  a  church,  a  house  for  the  missionaries,  a  house  for 
strangers,  a  store,  and  five  or  six  small  native  houses,  and  the  natives  call 
that  "  city  great !  " 


The  other  islands,  such  as  Kusaie  and  Ponape,  are  volcanic  and  have 
mountains  two  or  three  thousand  feet  high.  They  are  covered  with  forests, 
and  are  alive  with  birds  of  bright  plumage  and  sweet  song.  There  are  the 
bread-fruit,  banana,  cocoanut,  lemon,  orange,  and  other  tropical  growths, 
with  a  great  variety  of  timber  trees.  But  even  here  there  are  no  cultivated 
fields  or  pleasant  towns.  The  people  build  their  little  reed  houses  under 
the  trees,  and  pull  up  a  few  reeds  around  them,  in  order  to  plant  bananas 
and  yams,  the  vines  of  which  they  train  upon  the  trees. 

WHAT  THE  MISSION  HAS  DONE  FOR  THE  ISLANDS. 

In  1878,  at  the  end  of  twenty-six  years,  there  were  six  American  and  thir- 
teen Sandwich  Island  missionaries  in  Micronesia.  They  had  reduced  four 
of  the  languages  to  writing  —  for  the  islands  have  different  dialects  —  and 
had  translated  the  New  Testament  and  many  books  and  Christian  songs. 
There  were  thirty-four  churches  and  about  fifteen  hundred  church-members. 
Many  hundred  of  the  natives  can  read  well,  and  on  some  islands  all  the 


Micronesia. 


269 


population  is  in  school.  The  churches  have  themselves  begun  the  work  of 
foreign  missions,  and  have  sent  ten  teachers  from  their  own  number  to  hea- 
then islands. 

THE  PONAPE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS. 

At  their  Monthly  Concerts  in  1874  they  contributed  nearly  one  thousand 
dollars  for  supporting  their  missionaries.  Most  noted  among  these  teachers 
are  Opataia  and  his  wife,  Princess  Opatinia.  Opataia  is  a  simple,  sincere, 
honest  Christian, 
and  his  noble  wife 
has  long  been  an 
efficient  teacher. 
She  was  born  to 
good  King  Heze- 
kiah  while  he  was  a 
bloody  chieftain,  and 
was  one  of  the  earlier 
ones,  with  him,  to 
embrace  Christiani- 
ty. The  missionaries 
have  sent  to  America 
photographs  of  Opa- 
tinia and  the  teach- 
ers, of  which  the  en- 
gravings on  this  and 
the  next  page  are 
copies.  In  the  pic- 
ture of  the  group  of 
native  missionaries, 
Opataia  (Obadiah), 
the  husband  of  the 
princess,  sits  in  the 
center.  On  the  right 
stands  David,  on 
the  left  is  Moses  of 
Mokil,  and  at  his  feet  sits  Moses  of  Ponape.  At  the  farewell  meeting  in 
1873,  when  Opataia  and  his  wife  sailed  for  the  Mortlock  Islands,  to  teach 
others  the  blessed  gospel  they  had  believed,  their  words  moved  many  to 
tears.  Opataia  said  nothing  could  turn  him  back.  Opatinia  said  she  freely 
and  gladly  gave  up  all  her  chieftainship  and  her  comforts  that  she  might 
make  known  the  love  of  Jesus  to  the  heathen.  "  On  their  passage  down," 
said  Mr.  Sturges,  "  when  we  landed  on  those  dark  shores,  and  when  we 
came  away,  all  along,  their  faces  were  full  of  sunshine  and  their  hearts  of 
hope.  I  shall  never  forget  the  saintly  smile  of  that  Princess  Opatinia  and 
her  noble  husband,  as  they  stood  in  that  mass  of  almost  nude  savages  on 
the  beach  and  waved  their  final  farewells  to  us  as  we  moved  off  in  the  boat 
to  return  to  the  ship.  The  hope  —  may  I  add  a  holy  ambition  —  of  my 
life  was  realized :  my  life  was  spared  to  see  some  of  my  adopted  children 
landed  as  teachers  on  foreign  shores." 


Princess  Opatinia. 


270 


Micronesia. 


In  sending  away  these  teachers  the  island  churches  have  sent  their  best, 
and  that  makes  the  best  of  those  who  remain.  Their  letters  are  read  at  the 
Monthly  Concerts,  to  the  most  interested  and  attentive  audiences.  The 
letters  breathe  not  one  whisper  of  discontent  that  they  have  gone,  but  are 
full  of  joy  and  gratitude  that  the  longing  of  their  hearts  is  realized  and  they 
are  now  on  heathen  shores. 

FRUIT  OF  THEIR  LABORS. 

In  less  than  five  years,  these  Ponape  Christians  had  established  seven 
churches  with  338  communicants  on  the  Mortlock  Islands,  and  one  church 


with  272  members  on  Pingelap.  The  rude,  wild  people  support  their  teach- 
ers ;  build  them  houses,  bring  them  food  and  do  their  work,  that  they  may 
be  free  to  teach.  Even  in  time  of  famine,  when  the  people  were  starv- 
ing, the  teachers  were  not  left  to  suffer.  There  are  now  about  4,000 
members  of  native  churches  in  Micronesia,  and  .the  Morning  Star  is  said 
to  be  as  dear  to  them  all  as  it  is  to  the  missionaries.  Has  not  the  stock  in 
that  good  vessel  paid  well  ? 


CHRISTIAN  AND  HEATHEN  IN  MICRONESIA. 

BY    REV.    EDWARD    T.    DOANE,    OF    PONAPE. 


IN  the  picture  below,  we  have  a  representation  of  heathenism  and  Christianity, 
as  seen  side  by  side  on  this  island  of  Ponape.  Here  are  the  heathen  man  and 
chief,  and  the  Christian  woman  and  chieftess,  with  their  child,  "  a  blossom," 
between  them. 

The  man  will  of  course  be  recognized  sitting  on  the  right,  his  native  skirt  on, 
trinkets  about  the  neck,  belt  around  the  waist,  and  that  marked  ornament  of 
every  heathen  chief,  a  black,  dirty,  half-burnt  pipe  hanging  from  the  lobe  of  his 


A  NANAKIN  OF  PONAPE,  WITH  WIFE  AND  CHILD.  / 

right  ear.  Having  no  pockets  in  his  cocoanut-leaf  trowsers,  he  inserts  the  stem 
of  his  pipe  in  his  ear  and  so  carries  it,  making  the  lobe  render  some  service,  if  it 
is  less  ornamental.  I  may  say  that  the  lobe  of  the  ears  of  all  this  native  popu- 
lation is  punctured,  or  slit  up,  and  presses  open  ready  for  almost  any  use  and 
for  any  kind  of  ornament.  But  the  man  !  A  simon-pure  heathen  he  was,  when 
living,  and  a  terrible  drunkard.  For  many  years  he  was  a  hard  drinker  and  was 
almost  ahvays  drunk.  How  often  have  I  seen  him  carried  by  our  house  at  Kiti, 
too  drunk  to  call,  but  not  too  drunk  to  keep  up  such  howling  as  often  made 


272 


CJiristian  and  Heathen  in  Micronesia. 


our  hearts  faint,  and  our  cheeks  white,  lest  he  should  do  some  terrible,  bloody 
deed  !  He  hated  the  missionary  and  his  work,  and  once,  when  half  drunk,  took 
a  torch  and  fired  the  church,  burning  it  to  the  ground.  When  one  of  his  wives 
fled  from  him,  he  demanded  her  of  the  Christian  chief  with  whom  she  had  taken 
refuge.  She  was  brought  to  his  house,  tied  to  a  stake  outside,  while  he  was 
within  reviling  her,  until  finally,  wholly  drunk,  he  seized  his  knife  and  took  her 
life.  He  was  determined  that  his  little  son,  who  sits  beside  him,  should  be  a 
drinker ;  but,  as  the  boy  refused,  he  was  caught  and  the  liquor  poured  down  his 
throat.  This  is  the  way  heathenism  works  itself  out  in  its  votaries. 

But  the  woman  !  —  a  dear  Christian  woman.  The  daughter  of  an  English- 
man, living  once  in  Ponape,  but  dead  now,  she  grew  up  pretty  as  a  wild  tropic 
flower ;  was  wooed  and  married  to  the  nanakin,  or  chief,  preceding  the  one  in 


MISSION  PREMISES  ON  PONAPE. 

the  picture  ;  and  when  he  died,  his  successor  took  her  as  his  wife.  But  she  clings 
to  the  Christian  life  she  had  begun,  and  is  true  to  it,  although  this  second 
husband's  sad  life  is  a  great  distress  to  her.  How  neatly  she  is  dressed  ! 
Heathen  women  don't  dress  so  usually  in  Ponape.  What  a  mild,  pleasant  face  ! 
Heathenism  in  these  islands  seams  and  scars  the  faces  of  the  females,  often 
making  the  young  maiden  wear  the  look  of  an  old  hag.  This  woman  is  not 
sitting  in  the  weeds  of  widowhood  exactly,  but  that  loving,  tender  heart  often 
sat  there.  A  widow  now,  she  follows  Christ  closely,  and  will  till  he  calls  her 
home,  we  think. 

But  the  blossom  !  —  the  little  fellow  would  smile  to  be  called  that  now.  He 
has  grown  to  be  a  young  man,  with  a  charming  wife,  daughter  of  good  Narcissus, 
and  has  three  babes  born  to  him.  "  But  ho\v  does  he  blossom  out?"  you  ask. 
Into  a  fine,  Christian  young  man,  true  as  steel,  a  good  worker  for  Christ.  Though 
a  chief  of  considerable  prominence,  he  and  his  wife  stand  ready  to-day  to  labor 


Christian  and  Heathen  in  Micronesia. 


273 


274  Cliristian  and  Heathen  in  Micronesia. 

upon  any  heathen  shore  to  which  we  will  send  them.  A  sweet  blossom  is  he  not, 
my  young  lad  reading  this  story?  Will  your  life  blossom  out,  in  like  manner, 
into  all  that  is  good  and  beautiful,  full  of  love  to  Jesus?  Are  you  ready,  like 
this  our  Henry  (for  thus  is  he  named),  to  take  up  your  work  on  any  heathen 
shore  ? 

Our  boy  is  represented  in  the  engraving  in  pure  heathen  dress,  as  he  was  when 
under  the  direction  of  his  stepfather.  He  has  a  skirt  made  of  cocoanut  leaves, 
trowsers,  a  belt,  a  wampum,  beautifully  wrought,  necklaces,  and  a  head-wreath, 
showing  off  well  on  his  light  olive-colored  skin.  But  he  has  discarded  these 
long  since,  dressing  now  as  a  good  Christian  should  dress,  with  clean  and  well- 
made  clothes.  Boys,  girls  !  let  us  pray  for  the  dear  Christian  mother.  She 
needs  our  prayers,  for  she  has  trials.  A  sister,  once  more  beautiful  than  she, 
and  two  brothers,  are  all  living  heathen  lives.  Let  us  pray  for  the  boy,  now  such 
a  noble  young  man,  that  he  may  avoid  all  the  snares  and  pitfalls  that  heathenism 
lays  for  him,  and  be  ever  true  to  his  noble  temperance  principles  and  to  Christ. 
This  heathen  stepfather  has  gone  beyond  the  reach  of  our  prayers  ;  but  we  can 
pray  for  many  other  fathers,  now  living  in  Ponape.  Only  a  few  miles  to  the 
east  of  me  lives  a  nanakin,  of  the  same  rank  with  this  man,  and,  like  him,  a 
drunkard  and  murderer.  How  often  my  soul  cries  out  to  the  Lord  for  him  ! 
Will  you  not  join  me  in  that  prayer? 


THE  MARSHALL  ISLANDS  OF  MICRONESIA. 


BV    REV.    J.    F.    WHITNEY. 


THE  thirty  islands  of  the  Marshall  group  lie  between  4°  and  14°  north  latv 
tude,  and  are  divided  into  two  ranges,  the  Ratak  and  the  Ralik.     The  "  Morn 
ing  Star,"  during  her  yearly  voyages,  visits  islands  on  both  these  ranges,  and  the 
young  people  may  like  to 
learn  more  about  the  dwell- 
ers there.    Artists  have  not 
visited  these  regions  as  yet, 
and  our  illustrations  must 
be  taken  from  some  rough 
sketches     contained     in     a 
pamphlet     by    a    German 
consul  at  Jaluij,  published 
at  Leipsic  in  1880. 

Kabua  is  the  highest 
chief  of  the  Ralik  range. 
He  is  represented  in  native' 
costume.  The  face  and  the 
upper  portion  of  the  body 
are  tattooed.  This  practice 
of  tattooing  is  a  cruel  part 
of  heathen  worship. 
Through  the  influence  of 
the  gospel  the  practice  has 
been  almost  discontinued 
on  some  of  the  islands. 
But  the  marks  once  made 
are  permanent ;  nothing  can 
wash  them  out.  Are  they 
not  just  like  the  deep  stains 
which  sin  makes  on  the 
character ;  stains  so  deep 
that  only  Almighty  grace  KABUA,  CH<EF  OF  RALIK. 

can  remove  them  ? 

The  skirt  which  Kabua  wears  is  made  of  bark  and  is  very  heavy.  It  is  made 
to  set  out,  both  before  and  behind,  by  a  huge  bustle.  A  bark  mat,  like  the  one 
here  seen  as  an  apron,  is  worn  by  the  women  as  well  as  by  the  chiefs. 


276 


The  Marshall  Islands  in  Micronesia. 


The  spear  in  Kabua's  hand  is  made  of  cocoanut-wood.  These  spears  are 
much  used  in  fishing  as  well  as  in  war.  Boys  throw  them  in  their  play  while 
very  young,  and  they  are  early  skillful  enough  to  spear  little  fishes.  Did  you 
ever  see  a  school  of  fish  ?  Sometimes  a  hundred  or  more  large  fish,  called 
skip-jacks,  come  into  a  Micronesian  lagoon  and  are  driven  into  shallow  water. 
Then  a  peculiar  shout  is  made,  and  each  man  and  boy  who  hears  catches  a 
spear  and  runs  to  the  sport.  What  an  exciting  time  they  have  of  it,  with  their 

spears  flying  hither  and  thither  at  the 
hapless  fish  !  In  the  early  days  of  our 
work  at  Ebon  we  found  it  impossible  to 
keep  our  school  quiet  when  a  school  of 
fish  appeared.  The  boys  would  hear 
the  shout  and  instantly  dart  out-of- 
doors,  almost  before  we  knew  it.  It 
was  quite  an  advance  when  our  pupils 
had  learned  to  ask  permission  if  they 
wished  to  leave  school. 

Our  next  picture  shows  in  outline  an 
ordinary  native  in  full  costume.  His 
only  mark  of  civilization  is  the  gun. 
Among  these  islands  firearms  begin  to 
take  the  place  of  spears  in  war.  These 
new  weapons  do  not  increase  blood- 
shed, as  might  be  supposed,  inasmuch 
as  parties  armed  with  guns  seem  afraid 
to  go  near  each  other. 

The  natives  have  their  ears  pierced 
when  very  young  •  and  then  by  press- 
ing, first  a  small  stick,  afterward  larger 
and  larger  sticks,  through  the  opening, 
they  continually  stretch  the  ring  of 
flesh.  This  stretching  process  is  kept 
up  until  the  ring  of  flesh  reaches  an 
enormous  size,  much  greater  than  the 
natural  size  of  the  whole  ear.  I  have 
put  my  arm,  coat  sleeve  and  all,  through 
the  ear  of  an  old  man. 

The  men  wear  their  hair  in  a  knot  at 
the  top  of  the  head.     They  wind  it  two 
NATIVE  MAN.  or  three  times  around  their  fingers,  and 

then  pull  the  end  through  the  coil. 

Ebon  was  formerly  the  principal  island  of  the  Ralik,  or  Western,  range,  and 
it  was  there  that  the  missionary  work  was  begun.  It  has  still  the  largest  church 
of  any  island  of  the  group,  and  from  this  church  five  ordained  ministers  have 
come,  two  of  whom  are  entirely  supported  by  the  people.  But  as  Ebon  has  no 
harbor  for  vessels  of  large  size,  Jaluij  was  chosen  by  the  German  traders  as 
their  central  station.  The  buildings  shown  in  the  picture  on  the  next  page 
belong  to  one  of  the  trading  stations.  All  the  coral  islands  are  much  like  this 


The  Marshall  Islands  in  Micronesia. 


Pi  i    jiti'i. 


2/8 


TJie  Marshall  Islands  in  Micronesia. 


one,  low  and  having  a  dense  forest  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  with  a  sprinkling  here 
and  there  of  pandanus  and  other  trees.  You  see  no  bread-fruit  trees  in  this 
picture,  as  they  were  all  blown  down  by  a  hurricane  which  swept  over  Jaluij  a 
few  years  ago. 

The  natives  are  skillful  navigators,  and  show  much  ingenuity  in  building  their 
canoes.  The  body  of  the  canoe  is  hewn  out  of  the  bread-fruit  tree,  and  the 
parts  are  tied  together  with  cocoa-nut  cord.  Stem  and  stern  are  just  alike,  and 
in  tacking  the  sail  is  moved  from  one  end  of  the  canoe  to  the  other.  The  out- 
rigger, which  is  designed  to  steady  the  craft,  must  always  be  kept  to  the  wind, 
or  the  sail  would  go  over  into  the  water.  The  mast  simply  rests  in  a  socket, 
and  is  not  secured  at  the  foot,  being  held  by  the  stays  made  fast  to  the  out- 


MARSHALL  ISLAND   CANOES   UNDER  SAIL. 

rigger  and  to  the  ends  of  the  canoe.  The  masts  and  spars  are  usually  made 
from  drift-wood,  for  large  trees  and  mill-logs,  drifting  probably  thousands  of 
miles,  from  the  northwest,  are  washed  on  the  shores  of  these  coral  islands. 

With  these  canoes,  each  from  thirty  to  sixty  feet  long,  the  natives  sail  from 
island  to  island,  with  neither  compass  nor  chart,  guided  only  by  the  wind,  the 
stars,  and  the  wave  lines.  Should  they  be  overtaken  by  a  storm  and  lose  their 
bearings  they  can  only  guess  which  way  the  land  is.  Sometimes  they  drift 
away,  and,  if  not  lost,  are  for  days  and  weeks  without  food.  But  more  impor- 
tant for  them  than  even  chart  and  compass  to  guide  their  canoes  is  the  chart  of 
God's  Word  to  guide  their  lives.  They  greatly  need  this.  You  who  read  these 
words  can  help  in  giving  it  to  them.  Perhaps  some  of  you  may  yet  go  to  these 
isles  which  are  waiting  for  God's  law. 


MORE  NOTES  CONCERNING  THE  MflRSHfiLL  I3LINDS. 


ANY  islands  of  Micronesia  would  not  be  habitable  by 
men  were  it  not  for  certain  wonderful  trees  which 
God  has  made  to  flourish  even  on  the  sandy  reefs  of 
the  Pacific.  Chief  among  these  trees  are  the  cocoa- 
nut,  the  pandanus,  and,  on  the  more  fertile  islands, 
the  bread-fruit.  In  a  picture  of  Ebon,  or  of  one  of 
the  better  class  of  coral  islands,  the  bread-fruit  tree 
would  be  seen  towering  over  all  others.  Though 
this  tree  is  a  great  blessing  to  the  people,  it  is  not 
so  valuable  as  the  cocoanut,  which  is  the  staff  of  life.  The  cocoa- 
palm  often  grows  to  the  height  of  sixty  feet  or  over.  From 
different  portions  the  natives  obtain  timber  for  building  and  for 
making  spears,  thatch,  door-mats,  torches,  fuel,  medicine,  and 
oil.  Something  like  milk  is  made  from  the  grated  meat  of  the 
nut,  and  this  milk  is  used  in  various  ways  in  preparing  food.  A 
cloth  for  straining  the  milk  is  found  in  the  tree,  ready  woven  by 
nature,  while  the  sap  from  the  bud  is  a  sweet  and  nourishing 
drink.  This  same  sap  when  boiled  fresh  makes  a  good  syrup,  but 
if  allowed  to  ferment  a  little,  it  gives  yeast  for  making  bread. 
When  fermented  still  more  it  becomes  intoxicating,  and  is  the  beer  or  "toddy" 
which  the  natives  drink.  The  water  of  the  young  cocoa-nut  makes  a  cool  and 
refreshing  drink.  From  the  fiber  of  the  husk  are  manufactured  cords,  ropes, 
scrubbing-brushes,  and  door-mats.  The  shells  are  used  as  bottles  for  water,  oil, 
and  sap,  as  well  as  dishes  of  various  kinds.  The  meat  of  the  nut  when  young 
is  a  very  palatable  article  of  food.  When  ripe,  this  meat  is  dried  and  sold.  It 
is  almost  the  only  thing  the  natives  have  to  sell  or  trade  with  for  cloth,  or 
knives,  or  needful  tools. 

So  valuable  is  the  cocoa-nut  tree  to  the  islanders  of  Micronesia.  While  it 
flourishes  in  the  East  Indies  and  West  Indies,  and  in  all  tropical  lands,  it  is 
found  in  its  greatest  luxuriance  on  the  shores  of  the  sea.  Its  wide  distribution, 
and  the  fact  that  it  is  found  on  the  smallest  coral  islets  of  the  Pacific,  is  ac- 
counted for  by  the  peculiar  shape  of  the  fruit,  which  enables  it  to  float  on  the 
water,  so  that,  falling  from  the  trees  into  the  sea,  it  is  carried  by  the  curren:s 
far  and  near,  and  when  thrown  by  the  waves  upon  any  land,  it  becomes  the  seed 
of  a  forest. 


t-OCOA-NUT 
TREES. 


280 


More  Notes  concerning  the  Marshall  Islands. 


The  pictures  on  this  page  and  the  next  show  the  pandanus  tree  and  its  fruit. 
It  is  an  awkward-looking  tree,  but  very  useful.  The  fruit  is  as  large  as  a  good- 
sized  pumpkin,  and  is  made  up  of  separate  pieces  or  drupes,  each  about  as 
large  as  a  man's  fist,  and  all  growing  on  the  pith  or  core  at  the  centre,  like  the 
seeds  of  a  blackberry.  In  the  picture  of  the  fruit  some  of  the  drupes  are  re- 
moved so  as  to  show  the  pith.  This  fruit  is  of  a  rich  golden  color,  and  is  juicy, 
sweet,  and  nourishing.  The  outside  of  these  drupes  is  hard,  but  the  end  near- 
est the  pith  is  soft. 
The  natives  chew 
up  this  soft  end  to 
get  the  juicy  pulp, 
and  so  the  sailors 
have  given  them  the 
name  of  "  chew- 
ups."  They  also 
call  them  shaving- 
brushes,  for  after 
being  washed  by 
rain  and  dried  by 
sun,  they  make 
very  handy  little 
brushes. 

The  fruit  of  the 
pandanus  when 
cooked  makes  a 
very  good  substi- 
tute for  pumpkin. 
The  natives  dry  it, 
and  keep  it  for  their 
long  voyages,  or  for 
times  of  scarcity. 
The  leaves  of  this 
tree  axe  used  in 
making  mats,  sails, 
thatch,  hats,  etc. 
The  trunk  when 
f  u  1 1  y  grown  is 
hollow  and  makes 
very  strong  and 
hard  timber. 

How  wisely  has 
God  provided  for 
the  needs  of  his 

THE  PANDANUS  TREE.  creatures     in     all 

parts  of  the  earth  ! 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  native  character  of  the  islanders  of  Micronesia, 
it  is  a  fact  that  they  have  learned  much  that  is  bad  from  those  who  have  come 


More  Notes  concerning  the  MarsJiall  Islands. 


281 


among  them  from  civilized  lands.  We  cannot  here  tell  of  all  the  evils  which 
white  men  have  added  to  those  of  heathenism.  Intemperance  now  prevails 
among  many  of  the  chiefs  and  the  people.  This  vice  was  unknown  throughout 
the  Marshall  Islands  until  the  year  1875.  It  is  sad  to  think  that  this  destroy- 
ing evil  has  been  introduced  from  Christian  lands. 

A  while  ago  the  chiefs  and  people  at  the  island  of  Ebon  enacted  a  temper- 
ance  law,  and  when  last  heard  from  the  law  was  still  in  force.     Kabua,  a 


FRUIT  OF  THE    PANDANUS. 

chief  of  Ralik,  whose  picture  you  may  remember  having  seen  on  another  page,  has 
forbidden  foreigners  to  sell  liquor  or  to  give  it  to  natives.  The  American  and 
English  consuls  at  Samoa  have  issued  proclamations  calling  upon  citizens  of 
their  countries  to  respect  this  command  of 
Kabua,  but  at  last  accounts  German  beer 
was  producing  intoxication  at  Jaluij.  What 
will  not  bad  men  do  for  the  sake  of  money? 
On  this  island  of  Jaluij  there  is  a  little  per- 
secuted tempted  band  of  Christians,  sheep 
without  a  shepherd,  with  no  missionary  and 
no  teacher.  Do  not  forget  to  pray  for  them 
that  they  may  not  be  wholly  lost  and  given 
over  to  the  evil  one. 

In  the  days  of  their  heathenism  neither 
the  men  nor  women  wore  any  clothing  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  body.  See  how  the  shoul- 
ders and  arms  of  the  women  were  sometimes 
tattooed.  This  tattooing  was  often  very 
elaborate,  and  it  seemed  to  do  something 
toward  covering  the  nakedness  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  body.  How  the  poor  creatures  must  have  suffered  in  being  cut 
so  much  as  was  necessary  to  drive  the  coloring  matter  under  the  skin  !  But 
they  have  learned  better  now,  and  on  some  of  the  islands  there  is  much  im- 
provement in  dress. 


TATTOO  WORK. 


282 


More  Notes  concerning  the  Marshall  Islands. 


The  native  dress  consists  of  two  mats,  each  about  a  yard  square,  fastened 
around  the  waist  with  a  cord.  These  mats  are  a  marvel  of  skill,  and  show 
great  industry.  They  are  braided  by  hand  (not  woven)  from  the  leaves  of  the 
pandanus,  and  are  soft  and  durable.  The  edge  is  embroidered  with  bark,  dyed 
brown,  black,  or  yellow.  With  these  colors  the  natives  work  an  endless  variety 
of  patterns,  the  work  being  equally  perfect  on  both  sides. 

The  picture  given  below  shows  a  woman  clad  in  the  native  mats,  to  which  is 
added  a  calico  sack.  This  sack  is  one  of  the  outward  results  of  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel,  and  it  is  a  sign  of  the  change  wrought  in  the  heart.  The  new 
truth  received  has  led  to  the  better  covering  of  the  body,  and  to  a  better  life  in 
many  ways.  These  outward  signs  of  Christian  work  are  very  marked  on  the 
islands  where  the  gospel  has  been  received.  The  houses  are  larger  and  better 
made  ;  the  grounds  around  the  houses  are  more  tidily  kept ;  the  natives  are  more 
cleanly,  and  are  clad  in  such  clothing  as  they  are  able  to  procure.  Like  the 
demoniac  whom  the  Saviour  cured,  they  are  clothed  and  in  their  right  mind, 
while  they  sit  and  listen  to  the  Word  of  God. 

On  the  trunk  of  the  cocoa-nut  tree  against  which  this  woman  rests  her  handr 
you  may  see  the  scars  where  successive  branches  have  grown  and  fallen  off. 
The  tree  grows  no  larger  round  as  it  increases  in  age,  but  only  taller ;  each  new 
branch  and  cluster  of  fruit  adding  to  its  height.  You  may  see  also  on  this  tree 

a  curious-looking  parasitic  fern. 
In  Micronesia  many  kinds  of  ferns 
and  other  plants  grow  in  this  way 
on  the  trunks  of  trees. 

Now  may  this  brief  story  of 
what  can  be  seen  among  the  far- 
off  islands  of  the  Pacific  lead 
those  who  read  these  words  to 
think  more  of  the  people  who 
dwell  there.  They  are  a  simple 
people,  kindly  disposed,  and  ready 
to  be  taught.  God  has  provided 
food  for  their  bodies  in  the  won- 
derful trees  we  have  described. 
The  food  for  their  souls  he  has 
also  provided,  but  he  has  intrusted 
it  with  us  to  carry  to  them.  Shall 
we  not  be  ready  so  to  carry  it? 
Your  missionary  vessel,  the  Morn- 
ing Sfar,  goes  through  these  island 
groups  every  year,  generally  add- 
ing on  each  voyage  some  new 
A  NATIVE  CHRISTIAN  WOMAN.  island  to  the  number  of  those  that 

have  received  the  gospel.  She  has  just  sailed  again  on  her  errand  of  love  and 
mercy.  How  many  hearts  will  be  made  glad  by  her  coming  !  Be  sure  you 
follow  her  with  your  prayers. 


MICRONESIANS  PICKED  UP  AT  SEA. -1882. 


A  STORY  of  remarkable  interest,  relating  to  certain  Micronesian  Islanders  re- 
cently cast  awav  at  sea.  comes  to  us  by  way  of  Japan.  The  facts  are  contained 
in  a  letter  from  Captain  Slocum,  of  the  American  ship  Northern  Light,  which 
reached  Yokohama  on  the  mh  of  January,  1883.  The  letter  is  printed  in  the 
Japan  Gazette,  of  January  16,  and  tells  the  story  so  fully  that  we  need  add  little 
to  it  except  to  speak  of  the  Island  of  Apemama  from  which  these  waifs  came. 


A  MICRONESIAN    ISLANDER. 

Apemama  belongs  to  the  Gilbert  group,  one  of  the  three  groups  of  islands  in 
Micronesia  where  the  American  Board  has  missions.  It  is  a  low  coral  island  on 
which  ten  years  ago  there  was  not  a  ray  of  Christian  light.  The  people  were 
degraded  savages,  naked  and  cruel  Nine  years  ago  a  native  Christian  teacher, 
placed  on  Apemama,  reported  that  the  people  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  came 
to  school ;  but  the  king,  jealous  lest  any  one  should  know  more  than  himself,  took 
an  effective  way  of  keeping  at  the  head  of  the  class,  namely,  by  cutting  off  the 


284  Micronesians  Picked  up  at  Sea. 

heads  of  those  who  proved  to  be  better  scholars  than  himself.  The  work  went 
on,  nevertheless,  until  1880,  when,  on  the  isth  of  August,  a  church  of  seventy-one 
members  was  formed.  The  next  year  the  king  put  away  thirty-three  of  his  thirty- 
four  wives,  and  there  were  said  to  be  over  two  hundred  inquirers  on  the  island. 
Last  July  there  were  three  hundred  persons  who  had  expressed  their  desire  to 
unite  with  the  church.  This  was  the  last  news  received  from  Apemama  prior 
to  the  coming  of  this  story  of  the  waifs  picked  up  by  the  Northern  Light.  We 
know  nothing  of  this  captain  who  writes  this  letter,  save  what  the  letter  itself 
shows  of  his  kindness  and  generosity.  The  testimony  he  gives  of  the  Christian 
character  of  those  whose  lives  he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  save  is  specially  gratify- 
ing. Here  is  his  letter :  — 

"It  seems  that,  about  the  end  of  October,  1882,  twelve  natives  of  Apemama 
Island  (Gilbert  group)  left  for  an  adjacent  island  of  the  same  group.  Overtaken 
by  a  storm  and  driven  to  leeward  of  their  archipelago,  they  continued  to  be 
drifted  about  from  north  to  south  and  east  to  west,  at  the  scant  mercy  of  a  chang- 
ing monsoon,  till  Sunday,  the  loth  of  December,  when  the  Northern  Light  picked 
up  the  surviving  five,  about  six  hundred  miles  from  their  island  home.  Seven  of 
their  number  had  in  this  time  perished,  the  first  to  succumb  being  a  woman. 
The  supply  of  food  the  unfortunate  waifs  were  possessed  of  was  limited  to  a  small 
quantity  of  dry  pulverized  banana;  and  their  stock  of  water  could  not  have 
exceeded  more  than  six  gallons,  as  their  utensils  would  not  have  held  more.  A 
few  bottles  of  cocoanut  oil  completed  their  stock  of  provisions. 

"  Speaking  of  these  people  as  natives  of  a  South  Sea  island,  I  think,  would  not 
convey  to  the  bulk  of  the  Christian  world  a  proper  conception  of  the  class  of 
people,  a  few  of  whom  we  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  rescue  from  inconceiv- 
able horrors.  A.  more  devout  band  of  Christians,  I  never  met.  When  first 
hauled  out  of  their  cheerless  cockleshell,  more  dead  than  alive,  and  placed  safely 
on  board  our  comfortable  ship,  a  man  who  appeared  to  be  a  leader  gave  thanks 
to  the  Almighty  with  becoming  reverence.  They  then  fell  on  the  deck  in  token 
of  submission  to  their  friends  from  the  white  man's  world,  of  which  they  knew  so 
little.  Brandy  and  other  stimulants  were  administered ;  warm  tea  seemed  to 
agree  very  well  with  one  or  two,  who  refused  brandy  on  the  plea  that  they  were 
Christians.  They  all  smoked,  however,  and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  I  thought 
that  possibly  there  might  be  some  virtue  in  tobacco.  .  .  . 

"  Whaggie,  the  youngest  of  the  three  young  men,  now  addressed  me  in  very 
good  English:  'Captain,  where  ship  bound?'  I  informed  him  that  we  were 
bound  for  Japan.  '  Ship  no  stop  at  Apemama  ? '  To  this  query  I  replied  it  was 
possible  we  might  touch  at  his  island  if  winds  prevailed  from  the  west;  and  if  we 
had  easterly  winds  we  should  touch  at  Ponipete  (Ponape)  ;  in  any  event  they 
should  be  cared  for  as  well  as  circumstances  would  permit.  '  Captain,'  said 
Whaggie,  '  I  thank  you.' 

"  The  change  in  their  fortune  began  to  tell  on  these  waifs  of  the  sea,  three  of 
whom  were  young  men  whose  physique  and  manly  form  could  not  be  matched 
by  any  three  men  among  our  crew.  The  fourth  was  an  elderly  man,  the  husband 
of  the  surviving  woman,  and  a  brighter  eye  than  twinkles  in  his  old  head  it  would 
be  hard  to  find.  It  was  he  who  refused  brandy,  repeating  his  only  word  of  Eng- 
lish, 'Me  missionary,'  pointing  at  himself  and  then  upwards,  and  we  readily  com- 


Micronesiatts  Picked  up  at  Sea. 


285 


prehended  his  meaning.     The  poor  old  fellow  seemed  quite  reconciled  in  the 
belief  that  his  time  was  about  up,  when  we  were  removing  him  into  regular  quar- 


ters along  with  the  rest.  Whaggie  looked  at  him  and  shook  his  head  saying, 
'Tabu ! '  We  laughed  them  out  of  this  idea,  and  told  them  that  among  '  howrie  ' 
missionaries  there  was  no  -  tabu.'  The  old  man  did  not  at  first  place  much  fakk 


286  Micronesians  Picked  up  at  Sea. 

in  what  I  said,  but  later  on  we  became  great  friends.  I  never  visited  their  quar- 
ters but  he  asked  me  by  signs  and  gestures  to  sit  down,  invariably,  too,  alongside 
of  his  wife.  What  man  could  ask  for  greater  mark  of  confidence  ?  Many  a  worse 
looking  woman,  too,  might  be  found ;  indeed  her  graceful  figure,  notwithstanding 
her  middle  age,  might  be  envied  by  many  a  '  howrie  '  belle. 

"  About  a  week  on  board,  and  prospects  looked  like  landing  our  proteges  on 
their  own  island.  We  reached  within  forty-five  miles,  and  I  fully  expected  to 
make  the  land  early  next  morning.  On  learning  this  the  islanders  set  to  rejoicing. 
I  came  on  deck,  as  is  my  custom,  in  the  middle  watch,  and  found  three  young 
men,  arm  in  arm,  walking  the  decks,  singing  psalms.  Our  disappointment  next 
day  was  great  when  we  found,  by  observations,  that  we  had  struck  the  equatorial 
current,  and  had  been  set  far  to  the  westward.  With  a  light  easterly  wind  it  was 
not  practicable  to  pursue  the  course  longer.  The  disappointment  to  them  must 
have  been  very  great ;  I  feel  conscience-smitten  for  having  held  out  such  high 
expectations,  but  it  really  looked  like  a  sure  thing  to  me  at  the  time. 

"  Thence  we  shaped  a  course  for  Ebon  Island  which  also  lay  in  our  track.  We 
made  it  at  night,  —  a  dark,  boisterous  night,  —  and  no  time  to  be  hovering  about 
coral  reefs  in  a  heavy  ship ;  so  from  this  we  took  our  departure  for  Baring's 
Island.  Our  island  friends  were  in  doubt  if  they  would  be  kindly  received  by  the 
inhabitants  of  this  island ;  they  were  in  doubt  of  its  being  inhabited  by  others 
than  cannibals ;  and  as  night  and  stormy  weather  were  again  upon  us,  communi- 
cation with  the  shore  was  cut  off.  I  did  not  feel  justified  in  simply  giving  them 
provisions  and  sending  them  off  in  their  boat  to  an  almost  unknown  island  and 
perhaps  extremely  unkind  people.  They  were  evidently  alarmed  at  the  idea  of 
being  thus  turned  off,  and  I  considered  I  had  no  more  right  to  turn  them  adrift 
than  I  would  have  with  people  of  any  other  nation,  so  thrown  on  our  hospitality. 

f<  Northeast  trades  now  fairly  opened  out  on  us,  and  my  mind  was  soon  made 
up.  Calling  our  visitors  to  me  I  acquainted  them  with  what  I  thought  best  for 
all  concerned.  '  Taiban '  (Japan)  was  the  word,  and  I  assure  you  their  faces 
at  once  brightened  up  and  a  load  was  taken  off  my  mind. 

"  Next  morning,  as  our  ship  fairly  danced  along  toward  Japan,  Whaggie  asked 
if  I  thought  they  should  ever  again  see  Apemama.  I  looked  at  their  situation 
now  in  a  new  light,  and  determined  that  they  shall  see  Apemama  and  friends 
agaiu  if  my  interest  can  bring  this  about.  I  made  light  of  their  fears  and  told 
them  as  best  I  could,  that  one  of  our  many  war-ships  cruising  the  ocean  would 
very  likely  carry  them  back,  boat  and  all.  Whaggie  intimated  that  the  King  of 
Apemama,  would  be  pleased  enough  to  '  pay  money,  to  give  plenty  cobrej  etc. 
Perhaps  he  would  knight  one  into  the  bargain,  who  knows?  My  opportunity 
was  probably  lost  by  being  met  with  foul  currents ;  otherwise  I  might  now  be 
known  as  Sir  P.  G.  or  Lord  Bukiroro  instead  of  plain  Pil  Garlic ;  or,  better  still 
perhaps,  as  '  Governor  of  an  Island.' 

"  We  arrived  safely  in  Yokohama,  on  the  i5th  of  January,  with  our  strange 
passengers  on  board.  What  shall  we  do  with  them?" 

We  are  glad  to  add  to  this  interesting  letter  the  fact,  reported  by  Dr.  Loomis 
of  Yokohama,  that  residents  in  Japan  were  so  much  pleased  with  the  account  of 
these  waifs,  that  they  at  once  raised  $500  to  send  them  home.  We  have  since 
heard  of  their  arrival  at  San  Francisco. 


THE  RESCl 


THE  FOURTH    MORNING   STAR. 


THE  "MOR1NG  STJR'S"  REPORT  TO  HER  STOCKHOLDERS  IN  1X79. 


THE  "  Morning  Star,"  after  a  trip  of  eight  months  in  Micronesia,  arrived 
at  Honolulu,  February  26.  She  brings  her  own  story  of  herself  and  her 
trip,  written  in  Micronesia  in  December,  1878.  The  stockholders  will  wel- 
come such  a  direct  report.  Accompanying  the  report,  we  give  two  pictures, 
one  of  a  lagoon  coral  island,  such  as  the  "Star"  has  frequently  seen  on 
her  trip,  and  one  of  the  cocoa-nut  palm,  which  grows  luxuriantly  on  some 
of  the  Micronesian  Islands,  like  Kusaie. 


r 


CORAL  ISLAND  WITH    LAGOON. 

"New  MICRONESIA,  Dectmbtrf*,  1878. 

"To  my  numerous,  respected,  and  happy  owners,  the  ' Morning  Star'  sends 
greeting,  —  health,  peace,  and  joy  to  you  all :  — 

"  I  am  on  my  eighth  trip  in  *  Old  Micronesia '  and  my  sixth  in  the 
'  New.'  I  am  now  doing  my  very  best  to  get  back  to  Ponape,  having  done 
up  all  my  work  at  the  Mortlocks.  I  came  down  flying,  making  the  distance 
of  280  miles  from  Ponape  to  Lukanor,  in  less  than  four  days.  I  am  going 
back  'wallowing,'  for  this  is  the  only  way  of  getting  along,  according  to  my 
experience  for  the  last  two  weeks.  I  am  doing  the  very  best  I  can,  and  am 
glad  no  one  on  board  complains  at  my  slow  progress.  The  only  approach 
to  complaint  from  any  one  is  the  rather  natural  remark,  which  rather  mor- 
tifies me,  '  Now  is  the  time  for  a  steamer.'  '  Oh  for  the  power  of  steam ! ' 
iVell,  I  am  sorry,  and  would  gladly  do  better  j  I  am  thinking  of  the  dear 


290  The  Morning  Stars  Report  to  her  Stockholders. 

ones  waiting  for  my  return,  on  Ponape  and  Ebon.  I  am  much  wanting  to 
get  up  to  Pingelap  and  Mokil,  to  give  those  good  people  in  the  East  a  chance 
to  welcome  me  and  their  misssionary,  as  they  have  done  in  the  West ;  but 
what 's  the  use  ?  The  captain  says  he  never  had  such  experience  before,  — 
head  winds  and  baffling  ;  '  north  '  and  '  south.'  Mr.  Sturges  wonders  if  '  the 
winds  and  I  are  on  a  dodging  frolic,'  and  suggests  to  the  captain  that  he 
'  tack  ship  '  without  saying  anything.  The  Captain  says,  '  that 's  just  what  I 

have  been  doing,  but  the  winds  are  too 
fast  for  me.'  And  so  we  have  it  'up 
and  down,'  '  up  and  down.'  All  on 
board  agree  that  it  is  from  the  Lord,  so 
there  is  no  complaining.  Only  I  'm  a  lit- 
tle sorry  to  hear  there  is  any  thought  of 
'  laying  me  up  '  to  give  place  to  a  young 
steamer  ;  I  think  they  '11  rue  the  day 
I  when  they  do  it.  I  trust  you  will  do  all 
you  can  for  me,  and  never  agree  to  a 
compromise  :  I  have  served  you  well, 
and  am  good  for  many  a  trip  yet.  Be- 
sides, it  would  be  so  hard  not  to  come 
back  to  see  these  sunny  isles,  and  the 
dear  missionaries  and  their  people.  I 
was  the  first  to  bring  teachers  to  these 
lovely  Mortlocks.  They  have  always 
been  glad  to  see  me,  and  never  more  so 
than  just  now.  Oh,  how  I  do  love  to 
see  them  gathered  on  their  white  beach 
to  sing  me  their  pretty  songs  of  wel- 
come. I  can't  help  wishing  I  were  a 
big  phonograph ;  how  the  Honolulu 
people  would  stare  and  throw  up  their 
1  ats  to  hear  me  repeat  the  sounds  that 
have  come  to  me  from  the  shores  of 
tl  ese  sunny  Mortlocks  !  I  am  so  happy 
(co  that  I  got  along  to  new  islands  and 
landed  Ponape  teachers  there.  I  hope 
i  ext  year  to  bring  from  Ponape  more 
new  teachers,  for  I  heard  the  mission- 
ary promise  the  people  on  Namolik  to 
bring  them  teachers,  and  he  has  also 
requests  for  teachers  on  dark  Ruk.  I 
hope  to  go  there  next  year,  and  should 
have  gone  on  this  trip  had  there  been 
anything  to  take. 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  bring  down  sup- 
plies and  letters  and  papers  to  these 
dear  good  missionaries,  —  they  all  seem  so  happy  in  their  work,  and  so 
blessed,  and  it  is  pleasant  to  take  them  around  to  see  their  children  and 


A    PALM  TREE. 


The  Morning  Star's  Report  to  her  Stockholders.  291 

grandchildren,  —  who  are  already  counted  by  the  hundreds  in  some  of  the 
islands.  I  am  always  happy  to  bring  down  missionaries,  but  am  rather 
sad  to  take  them  away  ;  I  did  so  want  to  bring  back  dear  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Snow,  and  my  favorites,  the  Doanes.  How  they  are  repeating  themselves  in 
the  songs  everywhere  sung  in  New  Micronesia !  Dear  good  veterans,  how 
I  miss  them  !  And  now  I  must  take  back  another  of  them.  Mrs.  Sturges 
is  much  needing  me  to  help  her  get  away  into  a  cooler  clime.  And  poor 
Mr.  Sturges  !  he  will  soon  be  the  only  one  of  the  original  band  in  Micro- 
nesia ;  how  he  does  hang  on  !  Wonder  if  he  plans  to  never  give  up  ?  I 
love  my  younger  friends,  and  shall  try  to  keep  on  coming  to  them  as  long  as 
I  can.  If  any  more  want  to  come,  I  can  assure  them  a  hearty  welcome  and 
a  glorious  work.  These  isles  wait  for  the  Law  of  the  Lord  ;  and  I  can 
wish  no  one  any  higher  good  or  sweeter  happiness  than  a  share  in  bringing 
to  them  the  Gospel  of  Life.  I  shall  be  happy  to  continue  in  your  employ, 
and  serve  you  to  the  best  of  my  abilities.  Thanks  for  past  favors. 
"  Your  sincere  servant, 

"  THE  MORNING  STAR.'"' 


REPORT  OF  THE  "MORNING  STAR."-18SO. 


HE     Morning  Star  arrived   at    Honolulu    from   her 
seventh   trip   to   Micronesia   on   February    15.     She 
has  sent  home  each  year  a  report  to  her  stockholders. 
Very  few  vessels   have  as  many  stockholders  as  she 
has,   and  all  will  want  to  hear  of  the  results  of  her 
voyage.     The  letters   from  the  missionaries  are  very 
full,  and  too  long  to  print  here,  but  some  one  usually 
writes  a  letter  in  the  name  of  the  vessel  telling  the 
stockholders  about   the   voyage.      Here   is  what  the   Star   says 
for  herself  :  — 

"  To  the  happy  owners  of  the  Morning  Star,  —  Peace,  health,  and 
hope  to  you,  young  and  old.     I  am  now  on  my  return  from  the  seventh  and  best 


LAGOON    ISLAND   IN    MICRONESIA. 


trip  I  have  made  to  your  chosen  island  kingdom,  Micronesia.  I  have  the  best 
of  news  to  tell  you.  I  have  been  all  the  way  down  through  the  Gilbert  Isl- 
ands, then  up  through  the  Marshall  group,  and  am  now  on  my  way  home  from 
the  Mortlocks,  where  I  had  just  splendid  times  among  those  Ponape  teachers. 


Report  of  the  "Morning  Star.' 


293 


I  also  took  one  of  their  choice  couples  on  to  dark  Hogolu,  where  I  have  been 
long  wanting  to  go.  During  this  long  voyage  I  have  sailed  over  more  than 
eight  thousand  miles  of  sea  and  had  my  anchor  down  in  fifty-two  places,  —  nor 
should  I  fail  to  tell  you  of  the  good  sen-ice  my  little  other  self,  my  boat,  has 
done,  in  saving  me  many  a  step,  amounting  in  all  to  more  than  eight  hundred 
miles.  Do  you  wonder  the  missionaries,  and  all  to  whom  I  go,  and  all  whom  I 
serve,  praise  me,  and  call  me  good,  and  say  I  am  just  the  best  thing  that  ever 
was,  and  hope  I  will  never  leave  them  ?  And  yet,  who  would  believe  it  ?  I  still 
hear  on  board  whispers  of  a  coming  steamer  to  take  my  place  !  I  take  as  little 
notice  as  I  can  of  these  hints,  for  I  love  to  come  to  all  these  groups  of  islands, 
—  all  seem  so  glad  to  see  me.  I  always  keep  my  handsomest  bows  for  the 
crowds  of  children  that  gather  along  the  coral  strands,  waving  their  feathery 
palm  boughs,  singing  just  the  sweetest  welcomes  ever  sung.  I  was  very  happy 
when  I  saw  teachers  come  on  board  at  Ponape,  to  make  good  the  promises 
Mr.  Sturges  made  of  teachers  for  the  new  islands  we  visited  last  year.  And 
then  how  glad  I  was  to  visit  those  teachers  I  took  to  Losap  and  Xoma  one  year 
ago,  and  to  find  them  doing  so  well,  —  a  church  and  parsonage  at  each  place, 


APAIANG.  GILBERT   ISLANDS. 

and  materials  ready  for  the  living  church.  I  landed  a  new  couple  on  Namoluk ; 
took  up  the  veteran  Moses  from  Noma,  and  the  Ruk  chief  who  had  come  over 
in  search  of  teachers,  and  then  went  on  with  them  to  the  front.  I  must  con- 
fess to  some  twinges  of  fear,  as  I  pointed  my  bow  into  the  unfrequented  lagoon 
of  the  Hogolu  Islands,  and  threaded  my  way  down  through  the  reefs  and  flats 
towards  one  of  the  many  high  islands,  where  such  bloody  deeds  have  been  done 
in  the  past.  And  then  how  suspicious  it  looked  that  no  natives  came  off  to 
meet  me  !  Only  now  and  then  a  few  were  seen  dodging  through  the  bushes  ; 
and  a  canoe  or  two  dodging  in  and  out  of  the  little  creeks,  only  to  see  and  be 
seen  for  a  moment.  At  length,  weary  of  trying  to  get  somebody  off,  I  lowered 
my  boat,  the  captain,  missionaries,  and  a  few  sailors  got  in,  which  was  no  sooner 


294 


Report  of  the  "Morning  Star." 


done  than  the  little  squad  of  natives  on  the  beach  darted  back  into  the  bushes, 
with  my  boat  in  pursuit,  and  as  I  saw  it  shoot  into  a  cove  out  of  sight,  espe- 
cially when  a  great  shout  arose,  I  thought  perhaps  I  had  got  my  friends  into  a 
tight  place.  It  was  an  hour  or  two  of  solemn  suspense ;  and  never  was  I  more 
glad  to  see  my  boat  than  when  it  shot  out  of  the  creek  with  all  safe.  Such  a 
crowd  of  wild  natives  shouting  and  fairly  carrying  it !  Then  I  knew  that  the 
shouts  were  a  joyous  welcome  to  the  teachers  who  had  come.  And  thus  is  ac- 
complished what  I  have  been  so  long  wanting  to  see  —  teachers  of  the  Lord 
of  peace  and  life  accepted  and  made  welcome  on  the  islands  of  dark  Hogolu  ! 
There  went  up  that  night  from  my  cabin,  and  from  all  on  board,  louder  songs  of 
praise  than  for  a  long  time.  So  you  will  not  wonder  that  I  am  very  happy,  and 
in  the  best  of  spirits  making  my  way  back  to  Ponape,  where  I  hope  to  rest  a 
few  days,  then  to  push  on  to  Mokil  and  Pingelap,  and  so  on  to  Honolulu. 

"  I  am,  your  Vessel,  THE  MORNING  STAR." 


FROM  THE  "MORNING  STAR."- 1551, 


WE  are  favored  again  wfth  a  report  from  the  "  Morning  Star."  For  nine 
months  she  has  been  sailing  through  Micronesia,  touching  at  many  islands  in 
the  Gilbert,  Marshall,  Caroline,  and  Mortlock  groups.  When  she  left  Honolulu 
in  June  of  last  year,  crowds  of  people  came  to  the  shore  to  see  her  off,  while 
the  steamers  blew  their  whistles,  the  flags  on  the  shipping  were  dipped,  and  the 
band  of  a  Russian  man-of-war  gave  forth  stirring  music.  The  old  pilot  said 
that  no  such  crowd  would  come  to  see  the  king  off  as  came  to  see  the  "  Morn- 
ing Star  "  and  her  passengers  start  forth  on  the  Lord's  work.  All  the  way 
through  Micronesia  the  vessel  has  been  bringing  joy  to  thousands  of  hearts. 
Captain  Bray,  who  has  so  faithfully  commanded  the  vessel  on  its  recent  voyages, 
sends  this  report  for  the  young  people. 


"  Corning  .Star  '*  $'rnDrtf)  greeting  to  fjcr  Otoncrg* 

RRIVING  at  Honolulu  from  my  eighth  voyage  through  Micro- 
nesia  in  your  service,  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  have  read 
with  pleasure  my  former  reports,  and  I  can  now  send  you 
I       \  a  brief   story  of   another  year  of   prosperous  work.     But 

s^_,     ^>      first  about  myself.     You  will  remember  that  in  my  report 
H^  printed    in    the   Missionary   HcraLl   last    year,    I   spoke   of 

y^[  (1^^--  whispers  I  had  heard  from  those  on  board  about  a  steamer 
to  take  my  place.  There  are  more  than  whispers  now,  and 
I  myself  am  persuaded  that  I  can  no  longer  do  the  work 
which  your  vessel  ought  to  do  in  Micronesia.  This  is  the 
feeling  of  all  the  missionaries,  and  while  they  speak  very 
affectionately  of  me,  they  have  been  drawing  up  a  petition  on  my  cabin  table 
for  a  larger  vessel,  and  one  that  shall  have  steam  power  to  be  used  when  there 
are  calms  or  cross  currents. 

"  On  this  last  voyage  I  did  the  best  I  could  under  the  circumstances,  but  just 
think  of  it !  In  one  instance,  in  going  from  one  island  to  another,  a  distance 
of  200  miles,  I  had,  on  account  of  head  winds  and  currents,  to  sail  1,236 
miles.  It  took  me  seventeen  days  to  do  this,  whereas  a  steamer  would  have 
gone  in  one  day.  I  spent  seventy-five  days  in  doing  the  work  among  the  Gil- 
bert Islands,  beating  about  until  I  had  sailed  2,868  miles.  If  I  had  had  steam 


296 


From  the  "  Morning  Star.' 


power  I  could  have  done  the  work  in  twenty-nine  days,  and  that  by  sailing  only 
607  miles.  My  poor  sailors  have  often  had  to  pull  in  a  boat  for  hours  under  a 
broiling  sun,  to  reach  some  island  to  which  I  could  not  sail  because  there  was 
no  wind.  Five  hundred  miles  of  boating  have  thus  been  done  on  this  one  voy- 
age. This  is  very  hard  and  slow  work. 

"  This  has  been  the  busiest  year  of  my  life,  and  such  crowds  of  passengers 
I  never  had  on  my  decks  before.  I  have  had  so  many,  that  at  times  many  of 
them  have  been  obliged  to  remain  on  deck  through  sun  and  storm  without  any 
protection,  because  my  cabins  are  quite  too  small  to  accommodate  them,  while 
my  cook  and  steward  have  been  greatly  troubled  to  get  cooking  enough  done 
on  my  small  stove  to  satisfy  so  many  hungry  mouths. 

"  I  have  witnessed  some  glorious  sights,  especially  in  the  turning  of  many  of 
the  natives  to  the  Lord.  The  teachers  we  left  at  Namoluk  last  year  among  a 
heathen  people,  met  me  upon  the  beach,  a  school  of  old  and  young  people  sing- 
ing away  with  all  their  might.  The  people  had  listened  to  their  teachers,  and 
many  of  them  had  accepted  Christ.  There  stood  a  new  church  and  a  nice  new 
house  which  these  natives  had  built  for  their  teacher.  Best  of  all,  there  were 
thirty-six  natives  ready  to  be  formed  into  a  church. 

"  I  told  you  about  taking  on  my  previous  voyage  the  faithful  Moses  from 
Noma  to  the  wonderful  lagoon  of  Ruk,  where  we  left  him  in  the  midst  of,  prob- 
ably, ten  thousand  heathen 
natives.  I  could  but  pity 
this  faithful  man  and  his 
wife  as  I  sailed  away,  and 
left  them  in  a  corner  of  a 
large  canoe  house,  as  the 
most  comfortable  place 
they  could  find  to  live  in. 
How  glad  they  were  to  see 
me  again.  God  had  taken 
care  of  them.  As  my  boat 
landed  upon  the  beach, 
how  different  was  the 
scene  from  the  one  I  left 
only  a  year  ago  !  A  large 
number  of  children  clap- 
'  ping  their  hands  and  sing- 
ing "  Morning  Star,"  stood 
ready  with  a  welcome  to 
the  missionaries,  who  land- 
ed upon  a  rude  wharf 
which  had  been  built  of 

A   YOUNG    MAN    OF  THE    MARSHALL    ISLANDS.  \O£S       an(J      together     they 

walked  up  a  nice  path  to  a  pleasantly  situated  house  built  for  their  teacher 
under  the  shade  of  bread-fruit,  cocoa-nut,  and  orange  trees.  A  short  distance 
from  this  house  was  a  large  new  church. 

"  This  good  man's  life  had  been  in  peril.  Soon  after  I  left  him,  a  disease 
prevailed  among  the  islands  of  the  lagoon,  and  large  numbers  of  people  were 


From  the  " Morni»g  Star" 


297 


293 


From  the  "  VTorning  Star" 


sick  and  died.  They  said  at  once  that  the  missionary  brought  the  disease,  and 
they  came  in  large  numbers  to  kill  him.  He  quietly  asked  them  to  listen  to 
him,  and  then  inquired  of  them  whether  they  had  never  before  had  anything  of 
the  kind.  They  remembered  that  a  long  time  ago  they  did  have  just  such  a 
pestilence.  He  asked,  '  Who  brought  it  then  ? '  After  a  few  moments'  thought 
they  replied,  '  It  came  itself.'  '  Then,'  said  he,  '  did  n't  this  come  of  itself  ? ' 
They  were  ready  to  admit  that  it  did,  and  instead  of  carrying  out  their  design 
of  killing  him  they  soon  began  to  listen  to  the  words  of  everlasting  life  coming 
from  the  missionary's  lips.  From  that  time  there  came  a  call  for  more  teach- 
ers and  for  the  words  of  life,  from  all  the  natives  in  the  lagoon.  I  left  two 
more  teachers  this  year  upon  other  islands,  and  expect  upon  my  return  to  see 
as  great  a  change  upon  these  islands  as  I  saw  at  Moses'  station  this  year. 

"  I  always  enjoy  the  company  of  the  native  school  boys  when  I  get  them  on 
board,  either  going  from  or  returning  to  school  upon  Kusaie  and  the  other  train- 
ing school  islands.  They  make  my  decks  ring  with  their  laughter  and  shouts, 
and  they  help  the  sailors  haul  on  the  ropes  in  such  a  hearty  manner  that  when  I 
tack  ship  it  brings  my  yards  around  in  good  order.  Perhaps  you  will  be  SUP- 


NATIVE   COUNCIL  HOUSE   OR    MANEABA,    GILbtKf 


prised  to  hear  that  a  little  Gilbert  Island  boy,  born  on  board,  has  been  named 
"  Morning  Star  Te  Kaure,"  in  honor  of  me.  I  trust  that  in  the  future  you  may 
hear  that  this  lad  has  become  a  great  and  good  man  in  his  country. 

"  I  should  be  glad  before  taking  leave  of  my  many  owners,  to  give  you,  not 
only  a  story  of  my  work,  but  also  a  treat  from  all  the  oranges,  bananas,  pine- 
apples, bread-fruit,  cocoa-nuts,  etc.,  that  I  see  and  often  have  given  to  me  by 
the  grateful  natives  of  Micronesia. 

"  I  am  your  vessel, 

"  THE  MORNING  STAR." 


FROM  THE  "MORNING  STAR"-1552. 


THE  Morning  Star  had  returned  from  her  eleventh  annual  trip  to  Micronesia, 
reaching  Honolulu  February  2,  nearly  two  months  earlier  than  she  was  expected. 
The  letter  from  the  Star  to  her  owners  was  briefer  than  usual,  and  refers  to  an 
accident  whijh  hid  happened  to  the  vessel  rather  than  to  the  work  done  among 
the  people.  The  letter  says  :  — 

"  I  am  returning  home  in  ballast,  and  to  all  appearances  as  gallant  as  ever, 
but  deep  down  below  the 
water-line  there  is  a  silent 
leak,  which  all  the  efforts  of 
my  crew  have  not  been  able 
to  stop.  After  three  weeks 
of  severe  labor  at  the  island 
of  Kusaie,  I  am  obliged  to 
return  to  Honolulu  for  re- 
pairs. What  I  dislike  most 
of  all  to  acknowledge  is  that 
I  am  returning  with  the  work 
on  some  of  the  islands  un- 
done. To  be  growing  old, 
and  to  become  aware  that 
one  is  not  equal  to  the  serv- 
ice required,  and  so  to  be 
willing  to  be  set  aside  that  a 
younger  one  may  fill  the  place, 
is  hard.  But  we  should  be 
ready  to  be  anything  or  to 
do  anything  for  the  sake  of 

,  .,  ,  WELCOME   OF    THE    MORNING    STAR 

the  more  rapid  extension  of 

the  kingdom  of  Christ.  How  well  I  can  sympathize  with  many  faithful  pastors 
who  have  grown  old  in  service,  and  who  have  come  to  realize  that  others  must 
take  their  place. 

"  I  would  give  all  praise  to  God  for  many  deliverances,  not  only  on  the  pres- 
ent voyage,  but  also  on  each  previous  one.  On  the  2ist  of  September  last  we 
sighted  Kusaie,  and  were  on  just  the  spot  where  the  Morning  Star  No.  2  was 
wrecked  in  1869.  The  weather  was  calm,  and  the  current  strong,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  nothing  could  prevent  my  going  ashore.  As  the  current  drifted  me  silently 
nearer  and  nearer  the  breakers,  I  gave  up  all  hope  of  saving  my  life,  and  the 
ladies  were  sent  away  from  me  in  boats.  But  just  before  striking  on  the  reef 


5OO  From  tlie  "Morning  Star." 

my  anchor  took  hold  and  held  me  just  clear  of  instant  destruction.  But  then 
there  was  only  one  quarter  from  which  the  wind  could  blow  so  as  to  save  me, 
and  we  had  never  known  it  to  blow  from  that  quarter  near  this  island.  How- 
ever, the  Lord  sent  this  very  wind  a  few  moments  after  our  anchor  caught.  It 
lasted  only  long  enough  to  take  us  clear  of  the  land,  and  then  died  out  again. 
Was  not  that  a  wonderful  deliverance  ? 

"  Four  years  ago,  as  I  remember,  there  were  ten  trading  vessels  sailing  about 
among  the  Micronesian  Islands,  besides  myself,  and  within  this  short  space  of 
time  every  one  of  those  vessels  has  been  wrecked  and  lost,  except  your  Morn- 
ing Star.  My  captain  would  take  no  credit  to  himself  for  superior  seaman- 
ship, knowing  that  some  of  those  other  vessels  were  commanded  by  far  better 
seamen  than  he.  To  sail  a  vessel  through  the  calms,  currents,  and  lagoons  of 
Micronesia  is  as  difficult  as  any  navigation  in  the  world.  No,  to  God  belongs 
all  the  praise.  My  captain  has  a  strong  argument  to  use  with  the  traders  on 
these  islands  as  he  reminds  them  of  the  protection  God  has  granted  those 
who  sail  in  simple  dependence  on  his  care. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  I  go  home  without  doing  the  work  in  the 
Marshall  Islands,  I  have  on  this  trip  sailed  12,362  miles  ;  have  had  319  pas- 
sengers ;  have  entered  15  lagoons  ;  and  have  anchored  46  times.  The  full 
results  of  the  voyage  can  never  be  known  till  the  great  day  '  when  the  books 
shall  be  opened.'  Your  faithful  Ship, 

"  The  Morning  Star." 

On  the  opposite  page  is  a  picture  of  a  coral  island,  thousands  of  which  are 
found  in  the  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans.  They  are  seldom  so  regular  in  form 
as  the  one  here  represented,  most  of  them  having  the  ring  of  trees  broken  by 
bare  reefs,  where  no  vegetation  is  to  be  seen.  The  water  within  the  ring  of  land 
is  called  a  lagoon,  and  there  are  sometimes  several  passages  from  the  lagoon 
into  the  open  sea.  But  these  channels  are  usually  narrow,  and  you  can  well 
imagine  how  difficult  it  is  for  the  Morning  Star  to  pass  in  and  out  in  safety.  It 
is  certainly  remarkable  that  she  had  sailed  so  long  and  so  safely.  Let  us  thank 
God  for  his  good  care.  Among  the  letters  brought  by  the  Star  on  this  trip  was 
one  from  Mr.  Doane,  giving  some  account  of  one  of  the  native  helpers  who 
went  from  Ponape  to  the  island  of  Ruk,  and  commenced  mission  work  there 
two  years  ago.  From  this  account,  and  from  what  Mr.  Sturges  has  written,  we 
have  the  following  interesting  story  :  — 

THE   STORY   OF   MOSES    OF   RUK. 

Many  years  since  a  large,  strong,  and  active  young  man  left  one  of  the  islands 
of  the  Gilbert  group,  and  went  on  board  a  vessel  to  go,  he  knew  not  whither. 
After  sailing  some  days  he  reached  Ponape,  of  the  Caroline  group,  where  he 
met  many  natives  from  the  island  where  he  was  born.  Liking  the  people  of 
Ponape  he  decided  to  make  that  island  his  future  home.  But  his  first  thought 
was  of  his  parents,  and  he  wished  them  to  come  and  live  with  him.  He  there- 
fore returned  to  his  native  island,  and  easily  persuaded  his  parents  to  go  with 
him  to  Ponape. 

While  on  the  voyage  a  baby  boy  was  born  to  the  mother.  When  they  reached 
Ponape  matters  did  not  move  on  as  smoothly  as  they  had  hoped.  The  people 


From  the  "Monrin?  Star.' 


301 


of  that  island  were  then  in  darkness  :  the  missionaries  had  just  brought  the 
light  of  the  gospel,  but  comparatively  few  had  accepted  it.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  drunkenness,  with  its  usual  results,  feuds,  brawls,  and  fighting.  The 


people  were  hateful  and  hated  one  another,  and  they  seemed  to  have  a  special 
hatred  toward  this  young  man  who  had  brought  his  parents  to  live  among  them. 
They  made  a  plan  to  kill  him,  and  he  was  enticed  away  from  home  and  mur- 
dered. Then  they  determined  to  put  the  parents  out  of  the  way,  and  so  they 


302 


From  i,\e  "Morning  Star." 


stirred  up  a  quarrel,  and  during  the  fighting  the  baby-boy  was  dropped  on  the 
ground.  The  father  and  mother  were  slain,  but  a  woman  of  rank  rushed  in 
and  picked  up  the  baby,  taking  it  to  her  home,  and  protecting  him  for  a  while. 

Among  the  natives  of  these  islands  there  was  in  those  days  a  custom,  which 
had  the  force  of  law,  that  the  child  of  a  murdered  man  should,  if  possible,  slay 


GILBERT    ISLAND    WARRIORS. 


the  murderer.  Hence  the  men  who  killed  the  baby's  father  were  anxious  to  put 
the  child  out  of  the  way,  lest  whep  he  grew  up  he  should  avenge  the  death  of 
his  parents.  So  he  was  hidden  for  a  while,  to  save  his  life.  Afterwards  he 
came  under  the  care  of  the  missionary,  Mr.  Sturges,  by  whom  he  was  taught  to 
read.  As  he  grew  up  he  heard  the  Bible  read,  and  was  led  to  see  his  need  of  a 
Saviour,  and  to  give  himself  to  Christ. 

During  this  time  he  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  Bible-story  of  Moses,  and 
it  seemed  to  him  that  his  own  case  was  much  like  that  of  the  Hebrew  leader 
whose  life  was  sought  when  he  was  a  child.  And  so  when  he  was  baptized  he 
took  the  name  of  Moses,  and  he  often  spoke  of  his  wish  to  be  like  Moses,  and 
lead  out  his  people  from  their  captivity  in  sin  and  heathenism.  He  early  ex- 
pressed his  wish  to  go  to  the  heathen  islanders  and  tell  them  of  Jesus. 

And  so  Moses  commenced  his  studies  at  the  Training  School  on  Ponape, 
where  the  natives  are  fitted  to  become  teachers  and  preachers.  In  1876  he 
went  with  his  wife,  Zipporah,  to  Etal,  one  of  the  islands  of  the  Satoan  lagoon, 
in  the  Mortlock  Group.  Here  he  remained  two  years,  gathering  eighty-six 
members  into  a  church.  He  then  took  a  new  station  on  Noma,  an  island  where 
all  were  heathen,  and  organized,  after  one  year's  labor,  a  church  of  fifty- 
seven  members.  The  next  year,  1879,  no  one  could  be  found  so  suitable  as 
Moses  to  begin  missionary  work  on  Ruk,  and  he  willingly  consented  to  go  to 
that  dark  island.  And  there  he  is  now,  leading  the  people  out  of  their  bond- 
age to  sin  and  superstition.  And  he  has  been  greatly  blessed  in  that  new  mis- 
sion field.  How  wonderfully  God  has  led  this  Gilbert  Island  boy,  whose  father 
was  like  those  men  pictured  above,  making  him  a  chosen  leader  to  many  peo- 
ple. Was  he  not  well  named  Moses  ? 


THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  "MORNING  STAR"  TO  HER  OWNERS  IN 


HE  story  of  the  Morning  Star,  and  of  her  sailing 
among  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  seemed  to  me,  when 
I  was  a  boy,  and  owned  a  ten-cent  interest  in  her.  as 
a  pretty,  imaginary  tale.  And  now,  when  as  her  com- 
mander I  look  back  and  consider  my  thoughts  of  her, 
I  can  understand  the  thoughts  of  others.  I  wish  I 
could  bring  her  and  her  work  before  you  as  a  living 
reality. 

-.  Endeavor  to  picture  in  your  mind  the  vast  Pacific  Ocean,  and  here 
•  and  there  in  it  an  island  rising  out  of  the  wide  expanse  of  water, 
appearing  only  a  speck,'  yet  crowded  with  human  beings.  Can  you 
conceive  the  ignorance  of  creatures  thus  situated  ?  They  have  not  begun  even 
to  comprehend  that  there  is  any  other  land  or  that  there  are  other  people  than 
their  own.  They  know  no  other  object  in  living  than  to  gratify  each  one  himself. 
The  results  of  such  a  life  are  darkness,  degradation,  war,  and  misery. 

If,  then,  their  conception  of  this  world  extends  no  farther  than  around  their 
little  island  and  lagoon,  what  would  ever  lead  them  to  thoughts  of  a  future  world 
and  life?  They  could  never  know  anything  about  it,  and  would  continue  in  the 
future,  as  they  have  in  the  past,  to  live  and  die  and  be  lost.  Very  few  persons 
ever  seem  thoughtfully  to  consider  the  wretchedness  of  these  poor  creatures.  If 
any  do  consider  it  their  tender  sympathies  will  be  touched. 

There  is  no  way  of  reaching  these  people  without  a  vessel  especially  provided 
for  this  purpose.  That  was  the  reason  for  building  the  Morning  Star.  Her 
white  sails  are  seen  upon  the  horizon.  She  approaches  an  island.  Possibly  the 
natives  have  seen  ships  in  the  distance  before,  but  those  on  board  had  been 
afraid  to  venture  near.  This  ship  draws  nearer  and  nearer,  and  the  natives  flee 
to  the  woods.  As  they  become  a  little  bolder,  they  peep  through  the  trees. 
We  beckon  them  to  come  on  board,  but  the  strange  white  men  inspire  them  with 
awe.  We  beckon  again ;  and  a  few  braves  enter  a  canoe,  and  cautiously  leave 
the  shore,  and  come  a  short  distance  toward  the  ship ;  then  they  beckon  us  to 
come  to  them.  Thinking  it  only  fair  to  meet  them  half  way,  we  lower  a  boat 
and  go  slowly  towards  them. 

We  have  brought  along  a  Christian  native  from  another  island,  who  speaks 
their  language,  and  this  native  shouts  out  to  them  the  astonishing  intelligence  of 


304 


To  the  Owners  of  the  Morning  Star. 


other  countries  and  peoples,  and  a  God,  and  a  heaven,  and  informs  them  that 
we  will  leave  a  teacher  with  them,  to  tell  them  all  about  these  things,  if  they 
will  promise  to  care  for  and  protect  him. 

Then  the  missionary  family  take  their  life  in  their  hands,  go  on  shore  with  their 
goods,  and  the  Morning  Star  sails  away,  leaving  them  to  begin  their  work  of 
learning  the  language  and  teaching  the  natives  of  God  and  a  future  life.  Can 
you  imagine  the  astonishment  of  those  heathen  as  they  listen  to  all  the  won- 
ders of  this  world,  and  of  the  world  to  come,  for  the  first  time? 

And  now  follow  in  thought  the  missionary  family  through  their  long  year  on 
that  lonely  island  —  a  whole  year  without  sight  or  sound  of  the  world  outside. 
At  last  the  time  draws  near  when  the  Morning  Star  may  be  expected.  Eagerly 
the  missionaries  scan  the  horizon  from  day  to  day,  and  often  in  fancy  see 
something  in  the  distance,  but  it  is  only  fancy.  "  No  Morning  Star  yet  !  " 
But  the  day  comes  when  a  speck  is  seen  afar.  There  is  no  mistake  now ;  it 
is  really  a  sail !  Then  the  fortunate  one  who  has  been  first  to  see  it  cries  out' 

"Sail,  ho  !  Sail,  ho  !"  and 
the  shout  is  taken  up  by 
others,  and  passed  on  in 
wild  excitement,  until  there 
is  no  part  of  the  island 
where  the  sound  is  not  ring- 
ing through  the  cocoanut 
palms. 

The  Star  draws  nearer. 
e-  The  spy-glass  of  the  mis- 
sionaries is  pointed  toward 
her  with  eager  gaze.  Her 
flag  is  run  up  in  the  breeze, 
and  hats,  handkerchiefs,  and 
branches  are  vigorously 
waved  in  return.  We  who 
are  in  the  ship  are  now 
near  enough  to  see  the 

missionaries  on  the  beach,  and  we  strain  our  eyes  to  count.  "  One  !  two  !  three  ! 
Yes,  thank  God  ;  they  are  all  there  !  "  Neither  sickness  nor  death  have  kept  any 
of  that  dear  number  from  standing  ready  to  welcome  us.  But  how  slowly  the 
vessel  seems  to  move  !  The  missionaries  cannot  wait.  Their  boat  is  launched 
and  is  soon  alongside,  and  their  joyous  faces  are  looking  up  into  ours.  We 
assist  them  on  board,  and  once  more  they  are  with  sympathizing  Christian 
friends.  Their  hearts  are  too  full  for  utterance,  but  with  happy  tears,  embraces, 
and  hearty  hand-grips  they  show  forth  their  unbounded  joy. 

These  moments  are  the  most  satisfactory  of  my  life.  The  delight  of  the 
missionaries  at  the  annual  visit  of  their  ship  repays  me  a  thousand-fold  for 
any  privations  I  have  endured  in  a  sea  life,  to  qualify  myself  to  command 
the  vessel,  and  be  the  instrument  in  God's  hands  of  carrying  them  such 
wonderful  cheer  and  blessing.  And  you  must  multiply  this  joy  by  twenty-five, 
for  we  now  never  visit  less  than  twenty-five  islands  each  year.  Even  this  gives 


NEARING  A   LAGOON. 


To  tlu  Owners  of  the  Morning  Star. 


305 


306  To  tlic  Owners  of  tlic  Morning  Star. 

no  idea  of   the  glorious  work  your  little  Gospel  ship  is  doing,  or  of  the  salva- 
tion she  is  bringing  to  the  poor  islanders. 

It  ought  to  be  a  source  of  gratitude  that  the  Gospel  has  spread  so  rapidly 
in  Micronesia,  and  been  so  wonderfully  successful  that  the  Morning  Star  is 
now  too  small  for  the  needed  work.  We  are  cramped  for  room  for  the  mis- 
sionary passengers,  their  houses,  provisions,  mail,  etc.,  and  for  the  transportation 
of  pupils  to  the  training-schools  on  Ponape  and  Kusaie.  We  must  charter 
another  vessel  to  assist,  or  lay  the  little  Morning  Star  aside,  and  ask  the  chil- 
dren to  come  forward  and  build  us  a  larger  ship  —  (or  steamer?).  How  cheer- 


NOINAWA,    ON    PONAPE. 

fully  every  one  of  you  would  assist  us,  if  you  could  know  the  importance  of 
our  vessel  to  carry  on  the  work.  The  work  is  not  done  without  great  cost.  For, 
after  a  voyage  of  ten  months  or  more  of  active  service,  without  time  to  keep  her 
even  in  necessary  repair,  she  must  return  to  Honolulu  and  go  into  the  hands  of 
carpenters,  riggers,  sailmakers,  and  stcvjd^res,  to  prepare  her  for  another  trip. 
Besides,  the  officers  and  crew  must  bj  paid,  and  provisions  laid  in  for  the  long 
voyage.  All  which,  together  with  the  numberless  expenses  attending  the  sailing 
of  a  vessel  like  this,  amounts  in  a  year  to  about  ten  thousand  dollars.  But 
just  compare  the  cost  with  the  salvation  of  only  one  soul,  and  which  will  appear 
of  most  importance  when  at  last  we  stand  before  our  Father  in  heaven  ?  The 
soul  will  then  show  as  priceless  and  the  money  as  ^^scless. 

If  I  had  untold  riches  and  could  purchase  the  greatest  happiness  of  life,  I 
would  purchase  the  joy  of  the  moments  when  the  missionary  ship  reaches  the 
islands  of  Micronesia.  You  cannot  share  this  joy,  but,  if  you  have  ever  helped 
the  Morning  Star  on  her  course,  the  time  will  come  when  you  will  thank  God 
that  He  permitted  you  this  high  privilege  ! 

From  her  present  commander, 

ISAIAH  BRAY. 


THE  "MORNING  STAR"  IN  1SS4. 

BY   REV.   F.  E.  RAND,  OF   POXAPE. 


r  No.  Ill  was  wrecked  on  the  island  of  Kusaie,  February  22, 1884.  (See  the  next  article.)  The 
last  work  done  by  the  Star  prior  to  her  wreck  was  to  make  her  annual  voyage  westward  from  Ponape,  to  visit  the 
islands  in  the  Mortlock  group  and  the  archipelago  of  Ruk.  She  took  with  her  from  Ponape,  as  the  visiting 
missionaries,  Messrs.  Sturges  and  Rand.  Mr.  Rand's  brief  report  is  here  given,  and  we  are  sure  that  the  account 
of  the  wonderful  progress  of  the  work  will  interest  all  the  young  people.] 

THE  eleventh  voyage  of  the  Morning  Star,  the  messenger  of  peace  to  the  Mort- 
locks,  has  been  wonderfully  blessed.  On  January  19,  1883,  at  3  P.M.,  we  left 
Ponape  for  the  west ;  visited  all  the  ten  islands  and  the  fifteen  stations  in  the 
Mortlocks  and  Ruk,  and  cast  anchor  again  at  Ponape  February  13,  making  just 
twenty-four  days.  The  Lord  has  not  only  blessed  us  with  quick  dispatch,  but 
has  strengthened  our  hearts  by  permitting  us  to  again  behold  his  work  prosper- 
ing in  the  hands  of  his  servants,  our  Ponape  brethren.  We  rejoice  that  the  work 
is  still  going  on,  though  the  workers  are  becoming  fewer  and  the  prospect  for 
filling  up  the  ranks  from  Ponape  or  the  Mortlocks  is  not  very  flattering,  just  at 
present. 

After  two  days'  sail,  on  Monday,  January  2 1 ,  we  entered,  at  sunset,  the  Lukanor 
lagoon,  anchoring  after  dark.  As  we  were  entering  the  lagoon  seven  or  eight 
canoe-loads  of  natives  met  us,  eagerly  seeking  to  find  out  who  we  were.  Soon 
the  glad  shout  went  up  :  "  Morning  Star  !  "  Every  one  took  it  up.  Laughing 
and  shouting  "Morning  Star!"  they  returned  to  their  homes  to  spread  the 
news.  Shortly  after  anchoring,  many  natives  came  aboard,  and  the  first  question 
they  asked  was  :  "  Where  is  our  teacher  David  ?  "  The  second  question  was : 
"  Where  is  Captain  Bray  ?  "  Waiting  till  Wednesday  morning  for  Opataia  and 
Opatinia,  we  spent  three  busy  and  pleasant  days  in  visiting  three  of  the  four 
churches  under  their  care,  Lukanor,  Ta,  and  Satoan,  and  also  Oniop,  one  of 
Caleb's  out-stations.  On  Saturday  we  were  off  for  Mor,  another  of  Caleb's  out- 
stations,  spending  the  Sabbath  there.  Monday  we  passed  at  Etal,  where  Caleb 
lives.  Tuesday  we  were  at  Kutu,  one  of  Opataia's  churches ;  the  most  pros- 
perous one  in  his  field.  Just  at  sunset  we  left  the  lagoon  and  were  off  for 
Namoluk.  The  report  from  Opataia's  field  is  encouraging;  no  falling  away 
during  the  year,  with  additions  to  each  of  the  four  churches.  On  Wednesday 
we  reached  Namoluk,  where  there  has  been  little  advance  since  the  close  of  the 
year  in  which  the  gospel  was  first  preached  to  the  natives.  Thursday  we  spent 
at  Losap,  finding  more  outward  signs  of  progress  than  at  any  place  yet  visited. 
The  neat  appearance  of  the  parsonage  and  church,  and  everything  around  it,  the 
bright  faces  and  clean  clothes  of  the  numerous  children  who  greeted  us,  assured 
us  that  Solomon  and  Susan  had  not  been  idle.  Solomon  ordained,  also,  one 


308 


The  "Morni;:j  Star"  in  1884. 


deacon.      On   Friday  we  were  at  Nama,  where  one  of  Solomon's  deacons  has 
had  charge. 

We  reached  Uman,  one  of  the  islands  of  Ruk,  on  Saturday.  Very  pleasant 
meetings  were  held  on  Saturday  and  Sunday.  Moses,  who  has  now  been  here 
four  years,  has  seen  fruit  a  hundred-fold  from  the  seed  he  has  sown.  Some  of 
the  visible  fruits  are  the  large  church,  the  neat  and  large  parsonage,  the  long  stone 
wharf,  the  little  village  of  neat  houses  which  has  taken  the  place  of  the  usual  low 
thatch  huts  with  dirt  floors  ;  the  large  Sabbath  congregations,  and  the  daily  meet- 
ings well  attended ;  the  large  school,  with  1 75  or  more  pupils ;  a  church  of 
seventy  or  more  members,  and  a  large  Sabbath-school.  These  are  some  of  the 
most  manifest  of  the  fruits  ot  the  gospel  of  Jesus  as  taught  and  exemplified  by 


Moses  and  Jepora.  But  the  grandest  proof  that  the  gospel  of  Christ  is  the  power 
of  God  for  good  is  found  in  the  fact  that,  while  many  resist  the  light  and  do  not 
follow  some  of  their  associates  into  Christ's  fold,  they  yet  so  far  feel  their  influ- 
ence that  fifteen  hundred  natives  on  this  island  of  Uman  are  at  peace  among 
themselves,  and,  though  strongly  tempted  to  war  with  the  neighboring  islands, 
they  firmly  refuse.  This  little  flame  of  light  that  has  been  burning  steadily  for 
four  years,  scattering  its  rays  of  peace  over  Uman,  has  reached  other  islands  of 
Ruk,  having  a  gracious  influence  over  them,  and  from  all  these  islands  they 
are  calling  for  the  light,  saying  :  "  Send  us  teachers,  that  we  may  learn  the  good 
way  and  give  up  fighting."  This  is  the  first  thing  which  the  gospel  does  tor  them, 
teaching  them  to  love  one  another. 

A  good  illustration  of  this  is  shown  by  what  the  gospel  has  done  for  the  people 
of  Fefan,  another  island  of  Ruk,  during  the  past  year.  In  December,  1882,  the 
Star  left  one  of  our  Ponape  teachers  on  Fefan,  at  the  village  of  the  chief  who 
had  killed  a  white  man  a  few  months  before.  The  chiefs  of  this  island  were  at 
war  among  themselves  and  with  the  other  islands.  This  white  man,  Hartman, 


The  "Morning  Star"  in  1884. 


309 


and  his  sons  took  sides  with  the  chiefs  where  they  lived.  Hartman  severely 
wounded  a  man,  and  his  son  killed  one  belonging  to  the  chief  of  the  village 
where  our  teacher  is  now  located.  The  chief  watched  his  opportunity,  and  killed 
Hartman  in  revenge.  In  this  village,  where  the  head  man  was  a  murderer,  all  his 
people  being  eager  to  follow  him  to  war,  our  Manasah  and  wife  were  stationed, 


they  not  knowing  a  word  of  the  language.  Our  present  visit  is  just  thirteen 
months  after  the  date  of  their  landing.  During  these  months  a  great  battle  has 
been  fought  and  a  great  victory  won.  The  weapons  of  warfare  were  not  carnal, 
but  spiritual.  The  sword  of  the  Spirit  won  the  victory.  What  a  wonderful 
change  has  taken  place  !  The  neat  church,  the  best  in  the  Ruk  lagoon,  and  the 


3io 


The  " Morning  Star"  in  1884. 


parsonage,  are  signs  of  good ;  but  the  change  in  the  people,  both  in  appearance 
and  action,  shows  what  the  Lord  has  done  for  them  through  his  servant  Manasah. 
After  dinner  the  natives  filled  the  church,  and  we  had  a  very  pleasant  meeting. 
Twelve  presented  themselves  for  baptism,  among  them  the  chief  (the  murderer) . 
We  did  not  form  a  church,  thinking  it  best,  for  several  reasons,  that  they  remain 
on  probation  a  year. 


A   MICRONESIAN    ISLAND. 

At  Utet,  where  Emilios  died,  our  hearts  were  both  saddened  and  rejoiced.  Sad 
because  we  had  no  teacher  for  them  ;  but  our  sadness  was  turned  into  joy  when 
we  saw  how  anxious  they  were  for  the  light,  and  how  well  they  had  improved  the 
little  opportunity  they  have  had  of  knowing  the  way  of  life.  I  was  surprised  and 
pleased  to  hear  their  prompt,  correct  answers  to  many  questions  about  Jesus  and 
heaven.  With  a  promise  to  send  them  a  teacher  as  quickly  as  possible,  we  bade 
them  farewell,  and  were  off  for  Ponape. 


THE  LUST  WORDS  OF  "MORNING  STAR"  NO.  III. 


WHEN  the  Morning  Star  No.  Ill  was  wrecked  on  Kusaie  in  February,  1884, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rand  and  their  daughter,  whose  mission  home  is  on  Ponape,  were 
on  board,  and  were  safely  landed  with  the  captain  and  crew.  By  the  vessel  that 
took  the  place  of  the  Star  for  the  work  of  last  year  in  Micronesia,  which  arrived 
in  Honolulu  last  Christmas  day,  letters  came  from  the  missionaries,  one  of 
which  will  be  found  on  another  page.  Mr.  Rand  also  sends  a  letter  from  the 
wreck.  The  news  it  gives  came  to  us  long  ago,  when  Captain  Garland  returned, 
but  it  will  be  pleasant  to  read  this  "  Imaginary  Letter,"  forwarded  by  Mr.  Rand, 
even  at  this  late  day  :  — 


THE  MISSIONARY  SHIP  -JOHN  WESLEY."  WRECKED 


FHE  SOUTH  SEAS 


KUSATE,  March  21,  1884. 

DEAR  OWNERS, —  If  you  could  see  me  lying  helpless  on  my  back,  on  this 
desolate  reef,  with  the  beautiful  surf  blowing  over  me,  you  would  mourn,  I  am 
sure.  These  terrible  breakers  give  me  no  rest,  day  or  night.  They  will  be  the 
death  of  me.  I  cannot  hold  out  much  longer.  Many  of  my  bones  are  already 


312  The  Last  Words  of  Morning  Star  No.  HI. 

broken,  for  I  have  lain  here  a  month.  A  great  many  people  come  to  see  me 
and  I  get  a  great  deal  of  sympathy ;  still  it  is  hard  to  lie  here  when  there  is  so 
much  work  to  be  done.  And  then  you  will  have  a  long  time  to  wait  before 
hearing  about  what  I  have  done  this  year.  I  want  to  make  a  confession  :  I  was 
beginning  to  get  proud  !  After  finishing  the  work  at  Mortlock  and  Ruk,  and 
coming  back  to  Ponape  in  three  and  a  half  weeks,  I  thought :  "  If  some  of  the 
people  who  condemn  me  as  a  slow-poke  could  only  see  how  I  flew  from  Ponape 
to  Mortlock  and  Ruk,  and  back  again,  they  would  change  their  minds  and  not 
be  so  anxious  to  get  rid  of  me  and  have  a  steamer.  ' 

But  now,  my  dear  young  friends,  I  too  am  in  favor  of  steam.  If  I  had  had 
a  few  teakettlefuls,  I  should  not  be  lying  here  useless.  Be  sure  to  have  steam 
in  the  vessel  you  build  to  take  my  place.  I  want  to  give  you  a  little  more 
advice.  Don't  permit  the  old  folks  to  bear  the  running  expenses  of  your  ship. 
It  will  only  take  a  few  pennies  a  year  from  each  of  you. 

I  wish  you  could  see  how  sorrowful  the  Kusaieans  are  when  they  come  on 
"board.  The  king  and  many  of  the  people  look  as  if  they  were  going  to  cry,  and 
say,  in  their  broken  English  :  "  Me,  too,  much  sorry  Morning  Star  broke ;  no 
come  back  to  us  any  more  ! ' 

When  the  Mortlock  people  hear  that  I  am  gone,  they  will  be  very  sorrowful. 
They  loved  me  very  much  and  were  always  delighted  to  see  me  coming. 

Trusting  that  this,  the  last  labor  of  love  which  I  shall  be  able  to  do  for  you, 
will  be  successful,  I  send  on  to  Ponape  my  long  boat  with  the  mail,  and  with 
the  missionary  who  is  detained  here. 

Hoping  you  will  soon  send  out  a  steamer  Morning  Star,  I  am, 

Your  MORNING  STAR  NUMBER  THREE. 

This  venturesome  trip  of  the  long  boat  was  most  successful,  as  we  all  know. 
It  was  provisioned  for  two  months ;  for  no  one  could  say  beforehand  how  long  it 
might  be  driven  about  or  lie  becalmed.  But  the  300  miles  between  Kusaie  and 
Ponape  were  made  in  less  than  three  days.  Mr.  Rand  sends  a  letter  from  the 
long  boat  also. 

PONAPE,  June  23,  1884. 

GREETING  !  DEAR  MASTERS,  —  When  you  read  the  foregoing  letter,  you  will 
all  exclaim  :  "  What !  is  that  our  dear  Star  talking  to  us  again?  We  thought  she 
was  gone  ! "  Yes,  your  beloved  Star  has  set,  and  there  is  nothing  left  except 
her  bones,  which  are  doing  good  service  at  Kusaie  and  elsewhere.  But  I,  her 
old  long  boat,  which  served  her  so  well,  am  still  alive  and  strong,  ready  for  any 
good  work. 

When  your  Star  went  on  to  the  reef  and  was  not  able  to  finish  her  work,  every 
one  felt  sad,  thinking  that  the  Ponape  missionaries  on  board  would  have  to  stay 
away  from  their  work  five  or  six  months,  and  that  the  children  and  other  friends 
in  America  would  have  to  wait  long  months  before  hearing  of  the  loss  of  their 
vessel.  But  Captain  Garland,  who  knew  me  well,  said :  "  While  the  long  boat 
holds  together  we  won't  wait  for  a  ship  to  come  and  get  the  mail ;  we  will  rig 
up  the  boat  and  take  the  mail  on  to  Ponape.  If  there  is  no  vessel  there,  we  will 
take  it  on  to  Bonin  Islands.  The  news  must  be  sent  home  with  dispatch,  so 
that  the  children  can  build  another  Star  !  " 


The  Last  Words  of  Morning  Star  No.  III. 


3  H  The  Last  Words  of  Morning  Star  No.  III. 

So  he  decked  me  over,  and  with  him,  the  missionary,  and  three  others  on  board, 
I  came  to  Ponape.  It  was  rather  rough  for  them,  but  I  did  not  tarry  on  the  way, 
and  landed  them  on  Ponape,  sixty-seven  hours  after  leaving  Kusaie.  The 
Captain  has  gone  to  China ;  and  you  will  soon  hear  of  your  loss.  I  am  still  at 
Ponape,  doing  what  I  can.  If  I  had  a  little  engine  to  bear  me  about,  I  should 


A    MAORI    CHIEF,   FIFTY   YEARS   AGO. 

still  be  able  to  do  a  great  deal  of  good,  going  not  far  from  twenty-five  miles 
every  Saturday,  with  one  of  the  missionaries  and  some  of  the  young  preachers 
of  the  islands,  to  spend  the  Sabbath  at  some  one  of  the  five  or  six  out-stations, 
where  there  are  a  few  Christians,  but  no  church  in  successful  operation. 

Hoping  to  be  the  first  to  greet  your  new  Morning  Star,  I  am,  fraternall)" 
yours,  THE  LONG  BOAT 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "MORNING  STflR"  NO.  IV  TO  HONOLULU. 

BY   CAPTAIN   ISAIAH    BRAY. 


To  the  Oii'ners  of  the  Morning  Star:  — 

jHE  Star  sailed  from  Boston  on  November  5,  1884,  a 
bright,  sunny  day,  with  a  fair  wind,  a  goodly  company 
of  friends  accompanying  us  to  return  on  the  tug. 
Before  these  friends  left  us  they  gathered  at  the 
gangway  and  sang :  "  Waft,  waft,  ye  winds,"  etc., 
and  we  had  a  parting  prayer,  When  we  were  left 
alone  our  decks  seemed  deserted,  for  there  were 
but  fifteen  of  us  left.  These  were  :  the  captain, 
1  first  mate,  second  mate  and  engineer  (one  man),  chief  engineer, 
cook,  steward,  and  six  seamen,  the  captain's  wife  and  daughter,  and 
Arthur  Logan,  who  was  returning  to  his  parents  at  Ruk.  But  our 
hands  were  at  the  plow  and  we  were  starting  about  our  Father's  business  and  we 
must  not  look  back.  But  for  all  that,  many  a  glance  was  directed  to  the  towboat 
as  we  rapidly  separated  in  opposite  directions  and  we  saw  the  boat  and  friends 
fast  going  out  of  sight. 

Could  those  friends  have  seen  the  vessel  twelve  hours  later,  how  thankful  they 
would  have  been  that  they  were  on  shore.  A  strong  northwest  gale  was  chasing 
us  with  a  fury  that  seemed  eager  to  overwhelm  us.  Large  waves  rolled  on  board 
threatening  to  founder  us,  but  the  noble  vessel  would  shake  them  off  and  again 
leap  ahead  under  the  close-reefed  topsail,  the  only  little  sail  she  could  cam-, 
and,  as  the  wind  screamed  through  the  rigging,  it  seemed  as  if  even  that 
would  blow  from  the  bolt -rope.  All  that  night  we  watched  and  worked  in  the 
waves,  doing  our  best  to  keep  the  Star  from  foundering.  We  were  glad  to  see 
the  daylight,  when  a  scene  of  wild  grandeur  was  presented  to  our  view.  Land 
was  no  longer  in  sight,  and  no  other  sail  could  be  seen,  nothing  but  the  vast 
ocean,  and  that  lashed  into  a  fury  around  our  little  vessel  that  seemed  only  a  toy 
upon  it 

For  three  days  the  gale  continued,  and  when  it  abated  we  had  left  Boston  five 
hundred  and  forty  miles  astern.  We  then  directed  our  course  to  the  northeast 
trade-winds  region.  But  we  found  very  light  and  variable  winds,  and  we  did  not 
reach  the  equator  for  thirty-three  days  after  leaving  Boston.  We  could  not  tell 
whether  we  had  a  fast-sailing  vessel  cr  not.  One  thing,  however,  we  were 
delighted  to  learn  concerning  the  sailing  qualities  of  the  Aforning  Star,  that  in 
light  winds  she  could  sail  faster  and  easier  than  any  vessel  any  of  us  had  ever 
sailed  in.  That  was  one  of  the  most  important  points  we  could  have  gained  for 


3 1 6  Voyage  of  the  Morning  Star  to  Honolulu, 

Micronesia,  as  there  is  little  else  than  these  light  winds  there.  Down  through 
the  region  of  the  southeast  trade-winds  we  had  the  same  light,  variable  winds. 

We  saw  the  Brazil  coast  in  the  distance  as  we  passed  Cape  St.  Roque.  The 
next  land  seen  was  the  coast  of  Patagonia,  near  Cape  Blanco,  in  latitude  46°  S. 
Then  we  sailed  down  the  coast  only  a  few  miles  from  the  land,  and  kept  it  in 
sight  till  we  entered  Magellan  Straits.  It  is  a  barren,  desolate-looking  country, 
apparently  without  people  or  vegetation. 

The  voyage  became  more  interesting  from  the  time  of  sighting  the  Patagonia 
coast,  January  i2th  until  the  i6th,  when  we  reached  the  entrance  of  the 
Magellan  Straits.  We  did  not  wish  to  enter  at  night  and  came  to  anchor.  The 


A    PATAGONIAN. 

nights  were  short,  however,  and  the  days  long  in  that  region.  It  was  not  dark 
till  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  light  again  at  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning. 

As  soon  as  it  was  light  on  the  xyth  all  hands  were  called,  for  the 
Morning  Star  was  then  to  be  transformed  from  a  barkentine  to  a  steamer,  and  we 
were  to  have  the  first  advantage  of  steam  power  in  our  missionary  packet.  As 
a  sailing-vessel  we  had  been  steering  with  the  wheel  at  the  after-end,  but  now  we 
changed  the  gear  to  the  wheel  in  the  pilot-house  forward.  The  sails  were  all 
furled  in  a  snug  manner,  top-gallant  and  royal-yards  sent  on  deck,  the  fires 
started,  anchor  hove  up,  and  we  steamed  into  the  Straits  against  a  head  wind. 

On  the  shore,  at  the  entrance,  sat  a  large  flock  of  penguins,  and  over  our  heads 
soared  a  noble  great  albatross,  and  here  and  there  a  seal  would  show  his  head 


Voyage  of  the  Morning-  Star  to  Hottolzilu.  3 1 7 

above  the  water.  It  was  a  perfect  day  in  all  respects.  Upon  each  side  of  the 
Straits  large  volumes  of  smoke  rose  high  in  the  air  from  hundreds  of  fires,  the 
object  of  which  we  could  not  imagine,  but  from  the  appearance  it  seemed  that 
Terra  del  Fuego  had  well  been  called  "  the  land  of  fire."  Just  before  dark  we 
entered  the  "  First  Narrows,"  steaming  five  knots  an  hour,  and  having  a  fair  tide 
of  seven  knots  more.  We  were  soon  rushed  through  these  narrows  into  Philip 
Bay,  sixty-five  miles  from  the  entrance  of  the  Straits,  where  we  came  to  anchor 
a  short  distance  from  the  Terra  del  Fuego  side. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday,  and  we  lay  at  our  anchorage  and  had  a  day  of  rest 
indeed.  Monday  morning,  January  19,  with  fair  tide,  wind,  and  steam,  we 
rushed,  rather  than  sailed,  across  Philip  Bay,  through  the  Second  Narrows,  and 
at  3  P.M.  reached  Sandy  Point,  the  only  foreign  settlement  in  the  Straits  belonging 
to  Chili. 

To  the  eye  of  even  a  sailor  there  is  but  one  indication  that  the  Morning  Star 
is  any  thing  but  a  sailing-vessel,  and  that  is  the  pilot-house  forward.  Having  hard 
coal,  not  a  particle  of  smoke  appeared  to  escape  through  the  long  iron  mast. 
As  we  passed  around  Sandy  Point  and  came  in  sight  of  the  steamers  and  the 
town  we  took  in  the  lower  topsail,  the  last  sail  we  had  set,  and  steamed  to  the 
anchorage  without  even  the  noise  of  a  whistle,  a  wonder  to  all  observers,  as 
there  was  still  no  smoke  to  be  seen.  The  harbor-master  soon  came  on  board 
and  his  first  words  were  :  "  Captain,  what  are  you,  anyway  ?  —  the  Phantom 
Ship?" 

Remaining  two  days  at  Sandy  Point,  from  which  place  we  sent  letters  home 
by  way  of  Valparaiso,  we  brought  fresh  water  on  board,  obtained  fresh  beef, 
mutton,  and  vegetables,  and  started  on  our  way  again.  All  that  night  we  steamed 
through  a  fog  and  rain,  only  occasionally  getting  a  view  of  the  land  on  one  side 
or  the  other.  The  next  day,  January  22,  it  blew  another  gale,  and  all  that  day 
we  were  in  about  the  same  position,  sometimes  gaining  a  few  ship  lengths,  and 
again  losing  it.  Passing  from  Sandy  Point  to  the  western  entrance  of  the  Straits 
we  look  upon  high  mountains  covered  with  grass  and  trees  ;  great  valleys,  with 
waterfalls  and  cascades;  beautiful  sheltered  harbors;  upon  other  ranges  of 
mountains  high  in  the  clouds  and  covered  with  snow  and  ice.  Beautiful  glaciers 
of  immense  length  wind  down  the  valleys  to  the  water,  where  they  break  and 
float  away.  I  could  not  help  thinking  what  a  splendid  coast  it  would  be  for 
some  of  our  owners  if  they  could  slide  down  those  long,  blue,  icy  glaciers. 

Just  before  dark,  January  23,  we  passed  Cape  Pillar,  the  western  point  of  land 
on  the  Terra  del  Fuego  side,  and  the  Morning  Star  steamed  gracefully  into  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  where  we  hope  she  will  spend  a  useful  life,  shedding  her  bright 
rays  over  the  darkness  of  this  ocean.  By  eleven  o'clock  we  were  a  good  distance 
from  the  land,  and,  having  a  strong  breeze,  set  sail,  let  the  fires  go  down,  put  the 
steersman  at  the  wheel  on  deck  and  again  became  a  sailing-vessel. 

We  entered  the  Straits  from  the  Atlantic  Saturday  morning,  January  1 7,  and 
left  them  to  enter  the  Pacific  the  following  Friday  evening,  January  23.  We  had 
steamed  seventy-five  hours  of  that  time,  and  anchored  only  twice.  We  were 
both  surprised  and  delighted  to  find  ourselves  through  that  difficult  part  of  the 
voyage,  in  less  than  half  the  time  we  had  expected.  We  soon  entered  the 
delightful  southeast  trade-winds  region,  where  we  were  not  disappointed  in  finding 


Voyage  of  the  Morning  Star  to  Honolulu. 


moderate,  steady  trade-winds,  that  took  us  to  the  equator  in  the  Pacific  in  thirty- 
five  days  from  the  Straits  ;  and  in  fifteen  days  more  we  steamed  safely  into  Hono- 
lulu, after  a  passage  of  130  days.  Here  we  anchored  about  noon  on  Sunday, 
March  15.  As  we  came  into  the  harbor  a  great  many  friends  drove  down  upon 


the  wharf,  as  they  were  on  their  way  home  from  church,  to  get  the  first  look  at 
the  new  missionary  vessel,  and  quite  a  number  came  on  board  to  greet  us.  Thus 
ended  the  first  voyage  of  the  new  Star,  and  as  she  now  goes  forth  upon  her 
future  work  we  are  assured  that  thousands  of  prayers  from  her  owners  will  follow 
her  still. 


PAPAL  LIANDS. 


AN  EVANGELIST  IN  SPAIN. 


BY    REV.    WILLIAM    H.    GULJCK. 


WERE  you  to  take  the  coach  at  Bilbao  and  ride  in  a  southwesterly  direction  for 
six  hours,  you  would  cross  the  boundary  of  old  Castile,  and  entering  the  province 
of  Burgos  you  would  find  yourself  in  a  valley  of  fifty-two  villages,  called  the 
Valle  de  Mena.  In  this  valley  the  Bilbao  pastor  and  a  colporter  had  often  during 
their  visits  scattered  the  good  seed,  and  though  the  Romanists  were  most  bigoted 
and  intolerant,  many  listened  gladly  and  believed.  About  five  years  ago  a 


THE   CITY  OF  BURGOS. 

prominent  and  wealthy  man  in  the  valley,  on  whose  aid  much  reliance  was 
placed,  died  very  suddenly,  and  the  work  was  seriously  checked.  In  two  years 
a  tried  Christian  helper  at  Bilbao  undertook  to  resume  the  work.  At  first  the 
people  were  cautious  and  reserved,  but  Don  Manuel  by  tact  and  gentleness  won 
the  confidence  of  those  he  met. 

By  the  time  of  his  third  visit,  in  March,  his  errand  was  well  known  throughout 


322  An  Evangelist  in  Spain. 

the  valley.  Each  time  that  he  had  returned  to  Bilbao  the  priests  had  declared 
that  he  had  gone  for  good,  so  that  when  he  came  back  the  third  time  it  was  to 
their  intense  disgust.  It  was  a  cold  day,  and  when  he  left  the  coach  he  went 
into  the  kitchen  to  warm  himself,  as  is  the  custom  in  the  country  inns.  The 
villag  priest,  coming  over  to  see  who  were  the  passengers  and  little  thinking 
whom  he  was  to  meet,  went  to  the  kitchen  —  to  find  himself  face  to  face  with 
the  Protestant  evangelist !  He  could  not  conceal  his  disgust,  but  had  the  good 
sense  not  to  express  it  in  words.  The  next  day,  Sunday,  he  harangued  his  flock 
from  the  pulpit :  "  My  dear  children,  the  Protestants  are  among  us  again  ;  again 
they  are  among  us.  They  surround  us  as  a  hostile  army  surrounds  a  beleaguered 
city.  My  dear  children,  do  not  go  near  them  ;  they  are  excommunicated,  and 
they  will  deceive  you  with  their  heresies." 

Not  heeding  the  alarm  of  the  priest,  who  had  only  announced  to  them  the 
arrival  of  the  Protestant,  his  "  dear  children  "  came  in  large  numbers  to  the  inn 
that  afternoon,  thinking  Don  Manuel  was  to  preach.  Though  no  public  meeting 
could  be  held  he  spent  all  the  afternoon  in  talking  with  the  now  considerably 
interested  villagers.  That  evening  the  wife  of  the  innkeeper,  who  was  absent  at 
the  time,  and  her  sister  and  several  neighbors,  who  had  not  wished  to  talk  with 
him  too  publicly,  sought  a  private  interview,  in  which  they  said  :  "  We  really  do 
not  know  what  to  believe  —  the  priests  say  that  you  do  not  believe  in  God,  or  in 
Christ,  or  in  the  mystery  of  the  incarnation,  and  that  you  are  not  baptized  and 
that  you  preach  immoralities  —  and  we  do  not  know  what  to  believe ;  nor  can 
we  believe  all  that  they  say  about  you."  Whereupon  he  explained  to  them  from 
the  Bible  our  belief.  And  when  they  exclaimed,  "  But  this  being  so  good,  why 
do  the  priests  prohibit  it? "  he  still  further  showed  why  they  dared  not  put  even 
their  own  Scriptures  into  the  hands  of  the  people,  as  by  them  they  would  be 
condemned  in  many  of  their  practices. 

On  the  following  evening,  when  the  innkeeper  had  returned  from  Bilbao,  he 
and  his  family  were  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  Scriptures  until  midnight. 
During  this  visit  of  five  or  six  days,  besides  conversations  with  scores  of  indi- 
viduals in  many  different  villages,  the  evangelist  distributed  several  hundreds  of 
tracts  and  copies  of  the  religious  periodicals  printed  in  Madrid. 

On  a  later  visit  he  was  one  day  in  his  room  in  the  inn,  singing  to  himself  some 
of  our  hymns,  when  a  gentleman  of  the  valley  being  in  the  room  below  happened 
to  hear  him,  and  asked  the  landlady's  sister  who  it  was  that  was  singing.  She 
said,  "The  Protestant  pastor  who  is  stopping  with  us." 

"I  like  what  I  can  hear,"  he  said;  "I  am  going  up-stairs  to  see  if  I  can 
understand  it  better."  So  he  went  up-stairs  and  placed  himself  in  an  adjoining 
room  to  listen.  While  still  he  was  up-stairs  the  priest  of  the  village  came  in, 
and  he  too  asked  :  — 

"  Who  is  singing  up-stairs  ?  " 

"The  Protestant  pastor,"  was  the  answer. 

"  No  doubt,"  said  the  priest,  "  he  is  singing  what  they  always  sing  —  those 
heretical  things  full  of  poison." 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  the  woman,  "they  are  beautiful  verses  that  speak  of  God 
and  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  faith  and  charity,  and  of  other  very  good  things.  It 


An  Evangelist  in  Spain. 


323 


was  only  the  other  day  that,  when  the  servant  was  arranging  his  room,  she  called 
me  to  see  the  beautiful  things  there  were  in  his  books,  and  I  read  the  very 
hymns  that  he  is  now  singing.  And  he  has  a  book  called  the  Bible  in  which 
are  things  such  as  you  preach  on  Holy  Week.  Do  you  wish  to  see  them  ?  If 
you  do,  come  here  to-morrow  morning  after  nine  o'clock,  for  he  goes  away  at 
that  hour  and  does  not  return  until  evening ;  but  promise  that  you  will  not  tear 
up  any  of  the  books  and  make  the  gentleman  angry  with  us  !  " 

"Ah  !  yes,  I  see,"  replied  the  priest,  "you,  too,  are  becoming  as  much  of  a 
heretic  as  your  bro- 
ther-in-law. I  de- 
clare !  each  day  the 
Jews  in  this  inn  in- 
crease in  number." 

"Oh!  senor  cura, 
what  evil  thoughts  ! 
Just  see  here,  Don 
Federico  is  up-stairs 
this  very  minute  list- 
ening to  the  Protest- 
ant. Why  won't  you^ 
go  up,  too  ?  " 

"  O,  go  along,  Jew- 
ess; you  are  making 
fun  of  me.  That  per- 
son singing  up-stairs 
can't  be  the  Protest- 
ant, because  we  know 
that  he  is  a  married 
man,  and  that  voice 
is  not  the  voice  of  a 
married  man,  but  of 
a  bachelor." 

"  But  —  and  mar- 
ried persons  —  can- 
not they  have  good 
voices  ?  " 

"  Now,  really,"  he 
insisted,  "  is  that  the 
Protestant  ?  " 

"  Yes,  surely."  SPANISH  PEASANTS. 

"  Well,  then,  I  will 

go  and  stand  under  his  window  and  see  if  I  can  hear  what  he  sings ;  but  I  know 
well  enough  it  is  nothing  good."  And  he  went  into  the  garden  and  took  his 
stand  near  the  window,  and  there  he  remained  until  the  singing  ceased ;  and 
then  he  went  straight  home  instead  of  coming  into  the  house  to  bid  them 
"  Good-night."  All  this,  and  much  more,  was  recounted  to  our  young  friend  by 
the  people  of  the  inn. 


324 


An  Evangelist  in  Spain. 


After  great  effort  and  long  waiting,  Don  Manuel  succeeded  in  securing  a  house 
in  one  of  the  less  central  villages,  and  now,  with  his  wife  and  two  young  children 
and  mother-in-law,  has  pitched  his  tent  in  a  wilderness  indeed,  in  many  respects. 
He  has  established  a  good  reputation,  for  when  I  asked  the  innkeeper,  on  one 
Saturday  evening  as  I  reached  the  place,  if  the  work  was  done  on  the  room 
which  was  to  he  used  as  a  chapel,  he  answered  :  "  I  think  it  is,  and  if  it  is  not, 
you  had  better  believe  that  Don  Manuel  will  do  no  work  on  it  on  Sunday." 

When  Don  Manuel  went  to  the  mayor's  office  to  give  notice  according  to  law 
of  the  meeting  he  was  to  hold,  he  dreaded  to  meet  the  mayor's  secretary,  who 
had  been  bitterly  hostile  to  the  Protestants.  But  somehow  this  secretary  did  not 
seem  inclined  to  prolong  the  struggle.  He  asked  Don  Manuel  to  sit  down,  and 
in  the  course  of  conversation  said  to  him  :  — 

"  You  must  have  a  large  salary  to  pay  you  for  the  insults  you  have  to  bear,  and 
the  abuse  you  so  frequently  receive,  for  leaving  the  religion  of  your  fathers." 


PALACE  OF  LA  GRANJA,  NEAR   SEGOVIA,  SPAIN. 

"  By  no  means,"  replied  Don  Manuel,  "  I  have  only  enough  to  live  on,  and  I 
certainly  could  not  endure  the  life  you  describe  if  it  were  not  for  my  faith  in 
God,  whose  will  I  feel  I  am  doing,  and  for  the  love  I  have  for  my  countrymen 
and  my  desire  to  bring  the  gospel  to  the  people  of  this  valley." 

"O,  faith  and  love!"  exclaimed  the  secretary  bitterly.  "Who  has  faith? 
Who  has  love  ?  I  have  yet  to  see  the  man,  priest  or  layman,  who  has  a  particle  of  it. 
The  priest  pretends  he  has  it  because  it  is  his  trade  ;  and  the  rest  of  us  pretend 
that  we  have  faith,  but  faith  in  what,  I  should  like  to  have  some  one  tell  me." 

It  is  among  these  bigoted  Romanists,  many  of  whom  are  hopeless  infidels,  that 
our  good  evangelist  and  his  wife  are  now  laboring.  Do  not  forget  them  when 
you  speak  to  Him  who  can  hear  and  help. 


THE  BIBLE  STAND  IN  THE  FAIR  OF  SANTANDER. 


KV    REV.    WILLIAM    H.    GIUCK. 


THIS  is  the  most  important  provincial  fair,  and  is  attended  by  people 
from  all  parts  of  the  north  of  Spain.  Eight  years  ago  I  applied  for  per- 
mission to  erect  a  Bible  stand  in  this  fair,  to  the  commission  that  grants 
the  licenses  and  assigns  the  places.  The  commission  sent  me  to  the 
mayor,  the  mayor  turned  me  over  to  the  governor,  and  the  governor  sent 
me  back  to  the  commission,  —  and  so  on  in  a  continuous  round  for  three 
weeks,  when  the  commission  blandly  told  me  that  the  time  was  up,  and 
that  there  was  no  more  room  on  the  fair  grounds  ! 

Two  years  after,  at  the  last  moment,  the  colporter  proposed  that  we  re- 
peat the  application,  but,  this  time,  to  place  only  a  table  on  the  grounds. 
I  assented,  as  it  could  do  no  harm 
to  make  the  request,  but  I  did  not 
have  the  slightest  hope  of  its  be- 
ing granted.  He  made  the  re- 
quest of  the  mayor,  who  at  once 
replied  that  no  one  would  be  per- 
mitted this  year  to  place  any  open 
tables  in  the  fair,  and  that  license 
would  be  granted  only  for  the 
erection  of  stalls  or  of  little 
houses.  "What  do  you  wish  to 
sell?"  he  asked.  The  colporter 
showed  him  a  copy  of  the  Bible. 
"This  book,  in  different  forms 
and  bindings."  The  mayor  looked 
it  over  for  a  moment :  "  Well,  as 
I  have  told  you,  I  do  not  allow 
you  nor  anybody  else  to  place  ta- 
bles on  the  grounds,  but  you  may 
put  up  a  house  [fas/fa]  if  you 
like."  "  But  there  is  not  time  for 
that"  "That  is  your  lookout. 
It  is  not  my  fault  if  you  have  A  SPANISH  PRIEST. 

come  too  late  with  your  application,  — but  a  house  you  may  put  up  if  you 
will."  The  mayor  had  no  idea  that  in  the  few  hours  remaining,  and  those 
mostly  of  night  time,  we  would  think  of  attempting  to  put  up  a  house,  — 
hence  his  great  liberality.  The  colporter  hastened  to  me,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment we  decided  to  accept  the  offer.  Back  the  colporter  went  to  the  gov- 


326 


The  Bible  Stand  in  the  Fair  of  Santander. 


ernment  house.  The  printed  permission  was  filled  in,  the  locality  assigned, 
and  we  went  our  way  rejoicing  in  the  providence  that  had  so  unexpectedly 
favored  us. 

THE    WORK    BEGUN. 

It  was  now  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  day  before  the  fair.  We 
hired  two  intelligent  carpenters,  bought  boards  and  materials,  and,  to  the 
amazement  of  those  who  had  already  completed  their  stands,  and  of  the 
numerous  frequenters  of  the  beautiful  grounds,  began  work  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  Our  Catholic  carpenters  caught  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
rest,  and  set  themselves  to  the  work  as  though  their  honor  was  at  stake  in 
finishing  it  within  the  allotted  time.  The  happy  company  worked  all  night, 
and  at  ten  o'clock  next  morning  the  little  house  was  complete !  The  car- 
penters, out-doing  themselves,  had  not  only  made  a  safe  and  commodious 
stand  for  the  books,  but  finishing  the  open  front  of  about  fifteen  feet  in 
columns  and  arches,  and  with  sundry  adornments,  had  produced  a  really 
beautiful  and  striking  effect.  By  a  singular  providence  the  location  was 
the  most  conspicuous  one  in  all  the  fair,  —  in  the  very  front  of  the  great 
half-circle  around  which  centered  the  most  brilliant  illumination,  and  in 
which,  on  all  occasions,  the  people  gathered  in  largest  numbers. 


THE   FINISHED   STAND. 

When  at  noon  of  the  appointed  day  the  commission  passed  up  the  ala- 
meda  to  inspect  the  grounds  and  stalls,  and  to  open  the  fair,  what  was 
their  astonishment  to  find  on  our  allotment  the  elegant  kiosk  that  had 
sprung  from  the  ground  during  the  night !  After  looking  at  it  a  little  while 
with  ill-concealed  disgust,  they  turned  away  muttering  to  themselves,  —  but 
not  without  hearing  some  good-natured  exclamations  and  laughter  from  the 


The  Bible  Stand  in  the  Fair  of  Santander.  327 

amused  by-standers.  It  was  too  late  now  for  them  to  undo  their  blunder. 
Our  beautiful  stand,  brilliant  with  light  at  night,  the  inside  walls  adorned 
with  Biblical  pictures,  and  the  counter  and  shelves  covered  with  the  vol- 
umes of  varied  size  and  form  in  which  the  Scriptures  are  offered  to  the 
Spanish  people,  attracted  the  attention  of  thousands. 

WHAT  THE   STAND   ACCOMPLISHED. 

Many  interesting  scenes  occurred  during  the  following  five  or  six  days  of 
the  fair,  —  conversations  with  curious  callers ;  interviews  with  priests,  of 
whom  there  were  those  polite  and  those  furious  ;  talks  with  buyers  ;  excite- 
ment when  a  rough  fellow  of  the  baser  sort  bought  a  Bible  (with  half  a  dol- 
lar given  to  him  by  a  priest,  who  lingered  at  a  distance  down  the  alameda, 
watching  him),  and  deliberately  tore  out  the  leaves  and  burned  it  in  front 
of  the  stand ;  and  visits  from  the  authorities,  who,  in  spite  of  the  closest 
watch  all  the  week,  found  no  cause  to  molest  us  nor  pretext  for  closing  our 
doors.  The  colporters  and  their  volunteer  aids  from  our  church  did  not 
leave  the  stand,  day  nor  night,  for  five  days,  during  which  time  the  wide 
front,  with  its  display  of  Bibles,  was  not  once  closed.  The  sales  were 
small  in  themselves,  but  contrasted  very  favorably  with  the  sales  on  like 
occasions,  generally,  in  Madrid  and  elsewhere. 

The  boast  of  our  enemies  had  been  loud  and  bold,  that  our  work  was  on 
the  point  of  being  stopped,  and  our  chapel  closed,  by  the  government,  and 
that  in  only  a  little  while  more  Santander  would  be  rid  of  us  and  of  our 
teachings.  In  the  midst  of  these  threats  and  boasts,  lo  and  behold  !  a 
Bible  stand  in  the  great  fair  of  Santander.  It  has  been  of  great  benefit  to 
the  evangelical  work  in  this  city  and  province. 


ZARAGOZA.-THE  CITY  AND  THE  MISSION. 


BY    REV.    THOMAS    L.    GULICK. 


IN  1 880,  when  I  was  located  in  Zaragoza,  it  was  the  last  station  of  the  youngest 
mission  of  the  American  Board.  At  present  there  is  no  American  missionary 
there,  and  the  evangelical  work  in  the  place  is  in  charge  of  a  native  pastor. 

The  city  was  named  for  Csesar  Augustus.     You  see  how  the  change  came  ; 


BRIDGE    AT    ZARAGOZA. 

first  Caesar  Augustus,  then  Caesarea  Augusta,  then  C-sara  Agusta,  and  so 
Saragossa,  as  the  English  write  it,  or  Zara-goza.  The  city  has  about  90,000 
inhabitants,  and  is  situated  about  176  miles  northeast  of  Madrid,  the  capital  of 
Spain.  Let  us  take  a  stroll  over  the  quaint  old  town. 

Here  is  the  massive  old  stone  bridge  over  the  Ebro,  the  largest  river  in 
Spain,  as  yellow  and  as  swift  as  the  Tiber.  Only  four  of  the  seven  arches  of 
the  bridge  are  represented  in  the  picture.  It  was  built  in  1437  A.  D.,  fifty-five 


Zaragoza  —  The  City  and  the  Mission. 


329 


years  before  Columbus  sailed  from  Southern  Spain  in  search  of  a  new  world. 
That  spire  you  see  at  the  farther  end  of  the  bridge  is  part  of  La  Seo,  one  of 
the  two  ancient  cathedrals  of  which  Zaragoza  boasts.  La  Seo  has  stately 
gothic  pillars  within,  and  as  the  cathedral  is  dark  and  lofty,  it  looks  like  a  dim 
and  solemn  forest  of  majestic  trees. 

In  four  minutes  walk  from  La  Seo,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ebro,  we  come  to 
"  La  Catedral  del  Pilar,"  so  called  because  it  has  in  it  an  ugly  little  image  of  the 
virgin  Mary  standing  on  a  jasper  pillar,  and  holding  a  child  in  her  arms  ;  which 
virgin,  child,  and  pillar,  the  Catholics  say,  were  brought  from  heaven  by  angels, 


THE    CATHEDRAL    OF    THE    PILLAR.    ZARAGOZA. 

the  virgin  herself  coming  with  them  to  the  Apostle  James,  who  happened  to  be 
sleeping  on  this  very  spot.  Of  course  she  told  St.  James  he  must  build  a 
church  there,  and  afterwards  this  great  cathedral  with  eleven  domes  and  two 
towers,  said  to  be  the  largest  in  Spain,  was  built  on  the  same  spot.  The 
domes  are  covered  with  green,  yellow,  white,  and  blue  glazed  tiles  which  glitter 
in  the  sunlight  with  Oriental  splendor. 

The  image,  surrounded  by  ever-burning  lights,  and  enclosed  in  a  magnificent 
shrine,  is  the  greatest  object  of  superstitious  veneration  in  all  Spain.  Hun- 
dreds of  girls  in  Spain  are  named  "  Pilar,"  from  the  "  heaven-descended  "  image 
and  pillar.  Thousands  of  pilgrims  come  every  year  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  give  their  offerings  of  silver  and  gold,  and  kiss  the  small  portion  of 
the  jasper  pillar  which  is  left  exposed  for  the  purpose.  The  jewelry  and  fancy 
shops  of  the  city  are  full  of  wood,  copper,  brass,  silver,  and  gold  imitations  of 
virgin  and  pillar.  She  is  another  Diana,  and  "  Great  is  Diana  of  the  Zarago- 
zians,"  at  least  in  the  opinion  of  the  silver  smiths.  The  oil  of  the  lamp  kept 


330 


Zaragoza  —  The  City  and  the  Mission. 


burning  day  and  night  by  the  shrine  of  the  virgin,  is  said  to  be  miraculous. 
Cardinal  Retz  says  that  he  saw  here,  in  1649,  a  man  who  had  lost  his  leg  which 
grew  again  on  being  rubbed  with  this  oil.  There  is  a  picture  of  this  miracle  in 
the  cathedral,  with  an  inscription  giving  all  the  circumstances.  The  i2th  of 
October  is  the  anniversary  of  the  descent  of  the  virgin,  and  on  this  day  50,000 
pilgrims  have  been  known  to  flock  into  Zaragoza.  '•  God  alone,"  says  Pope  In- 
nocent III.,  "can  count 
the  miracles  which  are 
then  performed  here  !  " 
There  is  a  fine  organ  in 
this  cathedral,  and  some 
beautiful  carving  in  wood 
and  stone.  It  makes  one 
sad  to  see  so  much  art 
used  to  adorn  so  many 
falsehoods.  We  thank 
God  that  many  thousands 
of  the  people  now  do  not 
believe  a  word  of  them. 
Perhaps  more  than  half 
confess  that  Protestant- 
ism is  better  than  Ro- 
manism, though  most  of 
them  do  not  yet  have  the 
courage  to  break  away 
from  the  church  of  their 
fathers,  and  openly  join 
with  us. 

A  few  steps  from  the 
cathedral  is  the  ancient 
leaning  tower  of  Zarago- 
za, which,  like  the  tower 
of  Pisa,  leans  far  out 
from  the  perpendicular. 
From  its  summit  there  is 
a  fine  view  of  the  many- 
towered  city,  the  olive  and 
vine-clad  plains  around,  the  canal  lined  with  poplars  and  willows,  the  winding 
Ebro  and  the  snow-crowned  Pyrenees  to  the  north. 

CHURCHES   AND   THE   CHAPEL. 

Zaragoza  has  a  street  called  St.  Paul's,  and  on  it  stands  a  church  of  the  same 
name.  The  church  is  not  so  imposing  as  St.  Paul's  of  London,  but  it  is  much 
older.  Its  floor  is  about  ten  feet  below  the  level  of  the  street,  the  street  having 
gradually  filled  up  during  the  centuries  that  have  passed  since  the  church 
was  built.  On  the  great  carved  doors  there  are  representations  of  Paul  being 
let  down  in  a  basket  from  the  wall  of  Damascus,  and  of  his  falling  from  his 
horse  when  he  heard  the  voice  from  heaven.  Yet  few  of  the  children  who  go 
to  that  church  know  anything  about  the  history  of  the  Apostle  Paul  ! 


LEANING    TOWER. 


Zaragosa  —  Tlie  City  and  t/u  Mission.  33 1 

A  few  steps  from  here,  on  the  same  street,  are  the  Protestant  chapel  and 
schools,  in  which  I  am  sure  the  children  have  learned  more  about  Christ  and 
his  apostles  in  three  years  than  the  children  who  have  gone  to  St.  Paul's  have 
learned  in  three  centuries.  The  other  day  the  priests  brought  out  of  St.  Paul's 
church  a  large  image  of  **  St.  Anthony,"  who  is  represented  with  pigs  running 
down  his  legs.  Forming  a  procession  they  marched  with  the  image,  carried  en 
the  shoulders  of  four  men,  to  our  chapel.  Then  halting  and  turning  the  back 
of  Saint  Anthony  to  the  chapel  in  disdain,  they  set  him  down,  while  one  of  the 
priests  kneeled  on  the  sidewalk  before  the  door  and  pronounced  an  exorcism 
to  frighten  the  people  away  from  us  and  to  drive  out  the  evil  spirits. 


THE   RUINS  OF  SANTA   ENGRAClA. 

Here  is  a  picture  of  what  the  French  cannon  in  the  siege  of  1808  have  left  of 
the  church  of  Santa  Engracia.  This  church  was  begun  in  the  reign  of  Ferdi- 
nand and  Isabella,  and  finished  by  Charles  V.  in  1507,  one  year  after  the  death 
of  Columbus.  Above  ground  only  the  facade  and  side  walls  are  now  left  stand- 
ing. Over  the  great  door  are  two  arched  rows  of  exquisite  cherubs'  heads  and 
wings,  of  pure  marble,  and  as  perfect  as  the  day  they  came  from  the  sculptor's 
hands.  They  look  the  very  picture  of  immortality  smiling  upon  the  ruins 
around  them. 

The  city  is  surrounded  by  a  wall,  and  one  of  the  gates,  the  Portillo,  was  de- 
fended during  the  war  with  Napoleon,  in  1808,  by  the  "Maid  of  Zaragoza," 
of  whom  you  have  so  often  read  in  your  geographies.  The  old  cannon-battered 
stone  gate  has  been  torn  down  within  a  year. 

AMERICA  AXD   SPAIN. 

The  old  castle  of  Zaragoza  was  built  by  Moorish  kings,  and  it  was  afterwards 
the  palace  of  the  kings  of  Aragon.  Here  the  good  Queen  Elizabeth  of  Hun- 


332 


Zaragosa  —  The  City  and  the  Mission. 


gary  was  born  in  1271.  Ferdinand  the  Catholic  afterwards  gave  it  to  the 
Inquisition,  and  its  dungeons  have  held  many  a  doomed  victim  of  that  terrible 
institution.  One  of  its  chambers  has  a  gothic  inscription  bearing  the  mem- 
orable date  1492.  The  first  gold  brought  from  America  was  used  by  Ferdinand 
in  gilding  this  room. 

Again,  after  centuries,  America  is  sending  gold  to  Spain,  and  you  may  be 
assured  that  the  gold  you  are  now  giving  to  send  the  pure  gospel  to  Spain,  will 
do  more  good  than  all  that  was  plundered  and  brought  back  by  Cortes,  Pizarro, 
and  her  other  warriors.  The  gospel  gold  will  give  her  sons  a  celestial  city,  and 
build  them  nobler  palaces  than  all  the  "  wealth  of  Ormus  and  of  Ind." 


A  SPANISH  GYPSY. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  opposition  on  the  part  of  the  priests  and  the  bigoted 
and  superstitious  portions  of  the  people,  many  are  leaving  the  Romish  church 
and  are  coming  to  our  services.  There  are  several  gypsies,  like  the  one  repre- 
sented above,  who  attend  quite  regularly.  A  family  of  gypsies  lives  close  by 
our  chapel.  One  of  this  class,  who  has  been  present  at  our  meetings,  owns  sev- 
eral city  houses  worth  thousands  of  dollars.  From  the  castle  of  which  I  have 
just  spoken,  three  black-eyed,  rosy-cheeked  Senoritas,  daughters  of  an  officer, 
come  to  our  school.  A  soldier  comes  every  morning  to  bring  them  to  school, 
and  in  the  evening  to  take  them  home  to  the  castle.  They  are  comparatively 
rich,  and  always  come  well  dressed.  The  older  one  shows  much  interest  in 
her  Bible,  and  we  hope  she  is  a  true  Christian.  But  her  father,  because  he  is 


Zaragoza — The  City  and  the  Mission.  333 

a  "  liberal,"  and  sends  his  children  to  our  school,  has  had  his  salary  greatly  re- 
duced, and  he  has  been  sent  off  to  the  farthest  extremity  of  Spain.  It  costs 
something  to  follow  Christ  in  Spain,  even  if  one  is  an  officer  and  lives  in  a 
castle. 

Do  you  see  that  bright,  smiling  little  girl,  about  seven  years  old,  just  coming 
out  of  our  school,  carrying  a  big  book  under  her  arm  ?  Her  name  is  Angelita, 
"Little  Angel."  Her  father  has  five  children,  and  he  earns  only  thirty-five 
cents  a  day,  five  cents  each  for  his  family  of  seven.  But  she  was  so  anxious 
to  buy  a  Bible  that  for  six  months  she  carefully  saved,  and  took  to  her  teacher, 
every  half  cent  and  quarter  cent  which  she  could  gain,  or  which  was  given  her 
by  father  or  friends,  denying  herself  all  the  little  playthings  she  would  like  to 
have  had,  till  at  last  she  was  able  to  buy  that  greatly-coveted  Reference  Bible 
which  she  now  carries  so  joyously  under  her  arm.  If  you  will  question  her,  I 
think  you  will  find  that  she  knows  by  heart  twice  as  many  texts  as  some 
more  favored  Sunday-school  scholars  in  America  of  twice  her  years.  She  is  a 
tiny  thing ;  straight  as  an  arrow,  clean  as  a  pin,  and  as  lively  as  a  bird.  Let  us 
follow  her  and  her  two  brothers,  who  also  come  to  our  school,  up  into  the  gar- 
ret where  they  live.  Here  is  their  good  and  loving  mother  working  hard  to 
keep  her  children  clothed  and  fed.  We  see  the  signs  of  extreme  poverty  on 
every  side ;  but  these  beds,  and  poor  little  rooms  are  as  clean  as  many  a  rich 
man's  parlor.  This  poor  mother,  so  gentle  and  lady-like  in  her  manners,  has  a 
Catholic  sister  who  is  very  well  off,  but  because  she  is  a  Protestant  her  sister 
will  not  give  her  a  cent  or  even  speak  to  her.  Four  of  her  beautiful  and  ten- 
derly-loved children  have  died,  chiefly  for  want  of  enough  nourishing  food. 
The  uncomplaining,  cheerful  way  in  which  she  bears  her  great  trials  is  a  lesson 
to  us  all. 

ROMISH   PERSECUTIONS. 

While  there  is  still  a  very  bitter  spirit  shown  by  the  Romanists  towards  all 
who  are  inclined  towards  Protestantism,  such  persecutions  as  have  been  wit- 
nessed in  Spain  in  former  years  are  not  now  permitted.  The  famous  German 
painter  Kaulbach  has  painted  a  remarkable  picture  representing  Pedro  Arbue's, 
the  terrible  inquisitor,  on  the  steps  of  La  Seo,  condemning  a  girl  of  noble 
family  to  the  stake,  while  the  assistant  monks  gather  up  the  gold  they  have 
stolen  from  the  family.  This  Pedro  Arbue's  was  a  rival  of  Torquemada  in 
blood-thirstiness.  At  last  the  people  could  endure  him  no  longer.  Though  he 
used  to  go  surrounded  by  a  strong  guard  of  soldiers,  the  infuriated  populace 
rushed  upon  him  and  killed  him  in  this  cathedral,  September  15,  1495. 

Though  the  spirit  of  Arbue's  is  still  to  be  found  in  Zaragoza,  no  one  can  now 
be  condemned  to  death  for  refusing  to  obey  the  priests.  Some  of  our  Spanish 
helpers  have  been  imprisoned  for  a  brief  time,  and  all  the  people,  young  or  old, 
who  came  to  our  chapel  or  schools,  are  subject  to  insult  and  reproach  of  every 
kind.  Yet  we  have  many  who  gladly  endure  abuse  and  poverty  for  Christ's 
sake.  Will  you  not  all  pray  for  Spain,  and  especially  for  the  children  in  your 
schools  in  Santander  and  Zaragoza  ? 

Here  is  a  picture  showing  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  old  Roman  aqueduct 
such  as  still  exist  at  Terragona,  Pamplona,  Segovia,  and  many  other  parts  of 
Spain.  In  this  aqueduct  of  Segovia  I  drank  from  the  stream  of  limpid  water 


334  Zaragoza — The  City  and  the  Mission. 

still  running  along  its  summit,  ninety-four  feet  above  the  valley,  as  it  has  now 
done  for  sixteen  hundred  years.  This  aqueduct  was  probably  built  by  Ves- 
pasian, though  the  Segovians  call  it  the  work  of  the  devil.  Here  we  have 


ANCIENT   AQUEDUCT   AT    SEGOVIA. 


combined  grace  and  strength,  solidity  and  softness,  beauty  and  utility,  the  old 
giving  life  to  the  new.  May  the  gospel  streams  flow  as  steadily  during  the 
coming  centuries  for  the  thirsty  millions  of  Spain. 


OLD-TIME  PROTESTANTS  OF  PRAGUE. 

BY    REV.    H.    A.   SCHAUFFLER,    BRUNN,   AUSTRIA. 


PRAGUE,  the  "  hundred-towered  "  capital  of  Bohemia,  with  its  many  fine  pal- 
aces and  bridges  and  churches  adorned  with  high  towers  and  curious  turrets 
and  spires,  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  cities  in  Europe.  What  strange 
stories  many  of  those  old  stones  could  tell  us.  For  instance,  on  the  Charles- 
Bridge,  which  you  see  on  the  left  of  the  picture  on  page  337,  is  a  stone 
with  a  metal  cross  set  in  it,  which  tells  you  that  a  priest  named  John  Nepomuk 
was  once  thrown 
into  the  river 
there  by  com- 
mand of  King 
Wenzel,  because 
he  would  not 
tell  what  the 
Queen  had  con- 
fessed to  him. 
His  body  was 
said  to  swim  on 
the  water,  while 
five  blue  stars 
surrounded  his 
head.  The  peo- 
ple believed  this 
"fish-story," 
and  now  they  go 
in  crowds  from 
all  Bohemia  to 
that  spot,  and  to 
the  cathedral  on 
the  hill  over- 
looking it,  where 

is  the  costly  silver  coffin  said  to  contain  Nepomuk's  body.  Poor  deluded  peo- 
ple !  to  believe  such  lying  wonders  instead  of  God's  Word  ;  to  put  their  trust  in 
dead  men  rather  than  in  a  living  Saviour  !  It  was  not  always  so.  Bohemia  was 
once  a  Protestant  country.  Listen  to  the  story  of  another  stone  ! 

Here  is  a  picture  of  the  Rathhaus,  or  city-hall.  Behind  it,  out  of  our  sight, 
is  a  plain-looking  house,  one  of  whose  stones  bears  an  inscription  which  tells 
us  that  John  Huss  once  lived  there.  He  was  one  of  the  greatest  and  best  men 


THE    RATHHAUS. 


336  Old-Time  Protestants  of  Prague. 

that  ever  lived.  In  his  time  the  Roman  Catholic  church  had  become  fearfully 
corrupt ;  the  Pope  ruled  over  kings  and  emperors,  and,  in  order  to  enrich  him- 
self, he  corrupted  whole  nations  by  setting  a  premium  on  sin  and  sending  out 
priests  to  sell  indulgences,  or  the  pardon  of  sins,  for  money.  What  Christ  said 
to  the  Pharisees  was  true  of  the  Pope  and  his  clergy  ;  they  made  the  Word  of 
God  of  none  effect  by  their  traditions.  John  Huss  loved  and  studied  God's 
Word.  He  eagerly  read  the  writings  of  the  great  English  reformer,  Wyclif, 
who  gave  us  the  English  Bible.  His  compassion  was  stirred  by  the  state  of 
ignorance,  sin,  and  spiritual  slavery  to  which  Rome  had  reduced  his  countrymen. 
With  fiery  zeal  he  exposed  the  errors  and  corruptions  of  Rome,  and  denounced 
the  sale  of  indulgences  ;  with  holy  eloquence  he  proclaimed  God's  Word  as  the 
only  authority  in  questions  of  religion,  and  preached  salvation  through  faith  in 
Christ. 

Multitudes  thronged  to  hear  Huss.  Many  accepted  his  teachings.  Rome 
became  alarmed,  and  the  Pope  summoned  him  to  appear  before  a  council  of 
the  whole  Catholic  Church  in  Constance  in  Switzerland.  King  Sigismund 
guaranteed  his  safe  journey  to  Constance  and  back  again.  But  once  in  the 
power  of  his  enemies  he  was  cast  into  a  dismal  dungeon,  dragged  before  the 
Council,  which  would  not  allow  him  to  defend  himself,  condemned  to  death  for 
heresy,  burned  at  the  stake,  and  his  ashes  thrown  into  the  Rhine.  Rome  thought 
she  had  conquered.  But  "  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  church." 
The  teachings  of  Huss  became  more  popular  than  ever  in  Bohemia  and  Mo- 
ravia. Desperate  wars  were  waged  by  Catholic  powers  against  the  Hussites, 
whose  one-eyed  leader,  Zizka,  never  lost  a  battle.  Rome's  influence  over  the 
Bohemians  waned.  A  noble  Christian  Church,  that  of  the  Bohemian  and 
Moravian  Brethren,  pure  in  doctrine,  strict  in  discipline,  and  vigorous  in  life, 
sprang  into  being.  The  greater  part  of  Bohemia  and  Moravia  received  the 
Word  of  God,  and  renounced  allegiance  to  the  Pope.  Scarcely  one  fifth  of  the 
population  remained  Roman  Catholic. 

When  the  Emperor  Ferdinand  II.,  a  docile  pupil  of  the  Jesuits,  came  to  the 
throne,  he  determined  to  uproot  Protestantism.  He  declared  that  he  would 
rather  rule  over  a  wilderness  than  over  heretics,  as  he  called  those  who  were 
not  papists.  The  Protestants  had  risen  in  defense  of  religious  liberty  against 
his  predecessor,  Matthias,  who  had  persecuted  them  in  violation  of  his  solemn 
pledge.  Ferdinand  continued  the  conflict.  The  excitement  in  Bohemia  was 
tremendous.  It  was  a  desperate  struggle  for  life.  The  Bohemians  had  no 
longer  any  Zizka  to  lead  them  to  victory.  They  chose  an  incompetent  king, 
and  in  1620  they  suffered  near  Prague  an  overwhelming  defeat  at  the  Battle  of 
the  White  Hill,  which  became  the  grave  of  Protestantism  in  those  lands. 
Through  Bohemia  and  Moravia  resounded  the  dreadful  cry,  "  All  is  lost !  " 

Look  at  that  Rathhaus  again.  It  seems  as  though  its  very  stones  must 
have  cried  out  .:t  the  scenes  of  horror  they  witnessed  on  the  2ist  of  June,  1621. 
A  large  scaffold  was  erected  in  front  of  the  Rathhaus.  On  it  sat  the  judges  ; 
a  strong  body  of  soldiery  guarded  it,  while  all  around  surged  a  dense  multitude 
of  horror-stricken  spectators.  One  by  one  the  bravest,  noblest,  and  most  pious 
sons  of  Bohemia  were  led  out  to  execution.  In  vain  had  Jesuits  and  monks 
offered  them  life  and  riches  and  honors  if  they  would  renounce  their  faith. 
They  could  die,  but  they  could  not  deny  Christ.  To  these  tormentors  one  aged 


Old-Time  Protestants  of  Prague. 


337 


333 


Old-Time  Protestants  of  Prague. 


nobleman,  Wenzel,  of  Budova,  answered  :  "  I  know  whom  I  have  believed.  I 
know  that  a  crown  of  righteousness  is  laid  up  for  me."  "  Hm ! "  replied  the 
Jesuit,  '•  Paul  speaks  thus  of  himself  and  not  of  others."  "  Thou  liest !  "  cried 
the  nobleman,  "for  it  is  also  written,  '  And  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  them 
also  that  love  his  appearing.'  "  When  he  stepped  on  to  the  scaffold,  he  passed 
his  hand  over  his  head  and  long  beard,  and  said :  '•  Now  my  gray  head,  see 
what  honor  is  put  on  thee,  to  be  adorned  with  a  martyr's  crown."  Once  more 
he  prayed  for  the  church,  his  country,  and  his  enemies,  and  commending  his 
soul  to  Christ,  sealed  his  testimony  with  his  blood. 

Otto,  of  Loss,  a  nobleman  of  keen  intellect  and  high  resolve,  said,  when  his 

••m— ^-SJm^«^-^-iuiN     i  iiiiMLiMujLii _uii  MIL     ...JBU. turn    came>    "  Already  the 

Lord  Jesus  comes  with  his 
angels  to  meet  my  soul,  and 
conduct  it  to  the  heavenly 
marriage-feast,  where  I 
shall  drink  with  him  out  of 
a  new  cup,1  the  cup  of  joy, 
through  all  eternity.  Oh  !  I 
know  it,  this  death  will  not 
sever  me  from  him."  Ab- 
sorbed in  prayer,  he  mount- 
ed the  scaffold,  then  lifted 
his  eyes,  pointed  upward 
with  outstretched  hand, 
and  exclaimed,  "  I  see 
heaven  o  >en  !  "  Before  the 
block  he  fell  on  his  face 
and  prayed,  then  kneeling 
cried  out,  "  Into  thy  hands, 
O  Lord,  my  God,  I  com- 
mend my  spirit.  Have 
mercy  on  me  through  Jesus 
The  sword  flashed,  and  one 
Thus  fell  twenty- 


JOHN    HUSS. 


Christ,  and  receive  me  that  I  may  see  thy  glory 

more  noble  soul  was  added  to  the  great  army  of  martyrs 

seven  heroes  of  faith,  —  the  flower  of  the  nation. 

This  was  but  the  beginning  of  horrors.  Prince  Liechtenstein's  dragoons 
swept  through  the  land  with  fire  and  sword,  and  compelled  those  who  did  not 
flee  into  exile  to  turn  Romanists.  All  Protestant  pastors  were  banished,  shot, 
or  burned.  The  most  awful  atrocities  were  committed.  To  make  sure  that  the 
"  heresy  "  would  not  revive,  Bibles  and  Protestant  books  were  searched  out  and 
destroyed.  It  was  made  a  crime  to  be  a  Protestant.  Over  30,000  Protestant 
families  fled  to  other  lands. 

Ferdinand's  wish  was  fulfilled.  He  ruled  over  a  desert,  a  land  desolated  in 
the  name  of  religion,  and  emptied  of  two  thirds  of  its  once  prosperous  and 
happv  pop  i''ition. 

And  now,  if  you  would  like  it,  we  will  take  a  look  at  missionary  work  in 
Bohemia  and  Moravia. 

1  The  cup  was  the  cherished  emblem  of  the  Bohemian  ProtestanU. 


MISSIONARY  WORK  IN  BOHEMIA. 


BY    REV.    H.    \.    SCHAUFFLER. 


You  have  now  been  told  something  of  the  old-time  Protestants  of  Prague.  In 
that  same  city,  in  the  year  1618,  began  the  famous  Thirty  Years'  War,  which  was 
so  fatal  to  Protestantism.  The  first  blow  in  that  war  was  struck  in  the  Hradschin 
Palace,  on  the  height  opposite  Prague,  represented  in  the  picture.  Two  of  the 
high  officials  of  the  Emperor  were  thrown  out  of  the  window  of  a  chamber  of 
that  palace  by  men  whose  religious  liberties  had  been  violated.  (See  the  picture 
on  page  340.)  Bloody  persecution  of  al!  Protestants  followed,  and  twelve  vic- 


THE   HRADSCHIN    PALACE. 

tims'  heads  were  exposed  for  ten  years  in  an  iron  cage  on  the  Charles-Bridge 
Tower.     (See  page  342. 

By  these  awful  persecutions  Rome  thought  she  had  destroyed  Protestantism 
root  and  branch,  but  some  rootlets  remained  out  of  sight.  So  strongly  did  the 
hidden  truth  work  in  the  hearts  of  some  in  Northern  Moravia,  in  the  first  part 
of  last  century,  that,  to  find  liberty  of  conscience,  they  fled  into  Prussian  Silesia, 
where  the  pious  Count  Zinzendorf  gladly  gave  them  leave  to  settle  on  his 
estates.  There  they  founded  Herrnhut.  This  was  the  beginning  of  that 
religious  body  called  in  Germany  "  Herrnhuters,"  and  in  this  country  "  Moravi- 


340 


Missionary  Work  in  Bohemia. 


ans,"  remarkable  for  the  extraordinary  zeal  with  which  they  have  carried  on 
foreign  missions.  They  are  now  helping  to  carry  the  gospel  to  Bohemia,  where 
they  have  two  mission  stations.  In  Moravia  there  are  as  yet  none  of  these 
Moravians.  Your  missionaries  are  very  glad  to  cooperate  with  them,  as  with 
the  pious  Austrian  pastors.  The  Herrnhuters  once  lent  us  an  evangelist,  a 
plain  working  man,  whom  we  placed  in  Tabor  (south  of  Prague),  which  means 
"  camp,"  and  was  once  the  center  of  the  one-eyed  Zizka's  military  operations. 
Eight  years  ago  I  saw  nothing  Protestant  in  that  wholly  Catholic  city  but  the 
great  Zizka's  coat  of  mail.  One  evening  last  year  I  met  there  over  twenty 
adults  to  whom  I  spoke  the  Word.  Ten  of  them  had  joined  the  mission  church. 


CHAMBER  IN  THE  HRADSCHIN   PALACE  FROM  WHICH  THE  NOBLEMEN  WERE  THROWN. 

The  gospel  has  gained  a  footing  again  in  that  former  stronghold  of  the  Hus- 
sites. 

PARTIAL   LIBERTY    GRANTED. 

One  hundred  and  three  years  ago  this  year,  the  Emperor  Joseph  the  Second 
allowed  Protestants  again  to  exist  in  Austria.  Many  shook  off  Rome's  chains, 
and  seventy  Protestant  congregations  sprang  into  being.  This  was  the  dawn  of 
a  better  day.  For,  though  in  consequence  of  influences  which  we  have  not 
space  here  to  consider,  the  great  majority  of  Austrian  Protestants  are  content 
with  dead  orthodoxy  or  cold  unbelief,  and  show  either  indifference  or  opposition 
to  spiritual  life  and  missionary  work,  there  are  a  few  pious  pastors  who  long 


Missionary  Work  in  Bohemia.  34! 

for,  and  are  laboring  for,  the  spiritual  regeneration  of  their  churches.  Then 
the  influence  of  Protestantism,  such  as  it  is,  has  tended  to  increase  religious 
liberty.  And  yet  of  this  there  is  little  enough  in  Austria.  We  found  no  Prot- 
estant churches  legally  recognized  but  the  Lutheran  and  Swiss  Reformed,  and 
that  all  other  Protestants  were  registered  as  "  confessionless,"  and  denied  the 
very  name  of  "  Christian."  We  had  no  right  to  hold  public  Divine  service. 
The  law  forbids  the  distribution  of  tracts  and  Bibles.  In  1879  the  Governor  of 
Bohemia  forbade  our  brethren  holding  any  religious  meeting  whatever,  and 
ordered  the  exclusion  from  their  family  devotions  of  every  one  not  a  member  of 
the  household.  In  two  villages  near  Prague  policemen  with  fixed  bayonets 
sorely  molested  inoffensive  farmers,  and  even  threatened  violence,  only  because 
they  read  the  Bible  and  prayed  together.  But  God  caused  the  very  wrath  of 
man  to  praise  him.  Moved  by  the  tale  of  such  wrongs  inflicted  by  officials 
boasting  the  name  of  "Christian,"  the  Evangelical  Alliance  six  years  ago 
appealed  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  who  promised  and  gave  redress  and  a 
limited  liberty  to  hold  public  and  private  religious  meetings. 

Soon  after  a  church  was  formed,  with  Prague  as  its  center,  which  last  year  num- 
bered 1 1 6  members,  and  is  constantly  growing.  It  is  a  living  and  active  church, 
and  is  doing  a  noble  work.  I  cannot  do  better  than  to  introduce  to  you  one  of 
its  members,  and  let  him  tell  how  he  was  won  and  what  he  is  doing  for  others. 

A  COLPORTER'S  STORY. 

"  My  former  life,"  he  says,  "was  a  life  without  God.  My  parents  led  me  as 
they  had  been  led  themselves,  that  is,  without  the  Bible.  My  mother  was  often 
angry  when  I  did  not  repeat  the  rosary  prayers  fast  enough.  I  went  to  Vienna 
to  learn  a  trade,  where,  in  consequence  of  a  shameless  question  put  to  me  in 
the  confessional,  I  lost  the  last  vestige  of  religious  feeling,  and  went  off  without 
receiving  absolution.  Now  I  condemned  everything,  good  or  bad.  After  serv- 
ing as  soldier  in  the  war  of  1866,  I  became  fireman  on  the  railroad.  Having  a 
good  income,  I  belonged  to  those  who  say  '  Let  us  eat  and  drink  for  to-morrow 
we  die.'  Card-playing  was  my  especial  delight. 

"The  Lord  called  me  in  a  terrible  way.  I  scalded  both  hands  so  that  the 
flesh  fell  off.  A  pious  man  with  whom  I  lived  told  me  that  whom  the  Lord 
wishes  to  make  his  child  he  chastens,  but  I  laughed  at  him  and  told  him,  '  I  am 
no  Beran  '  (/.  e.,  lamb,  an  old  nickname  for  Protestants)  ;  "  there  is  no  God,  let 
me  alone  with  your  religion.'  Thereupon  something  happened  to  me  again.  I 
fell  while  smoking  and  stuck  the  stem  of  my  pipe  deep  into  my  throat,  which 
brought  on  a  severe  sickness.  The  doctors  doubted  whether  I  should  recover, 
but  God  wished,  not  my  death,  but  my  life.  I  was  already  married  and  had 
two  children.  When  I  recovered  health,  I  again  went  my  sinful  ways  as  before, 
left  my  wife  and  children  alone  at  home,  though  I  had  a  good  wife,  and  went  to 
the  tavern  and  stayed  there  all  night.  I  was  then  dismissed  from  the  railroad, 
and  was  appointed  to  levy  taxes. 

"  At  this  time  the  Lord  called  me  in  a  special  way.  I  heard  of  Mr.  Novotny 
(the  mission's  evangelist  in  Prague),  as  preaching  the  Word  of  God  well.  I 
said  '  that  is  a  newfangled  Jesuit.'  Still  I  went  to  hear  him,  and  for  the  first 
time  I  was  hit  by  the  Word  I  heard.  It  seemed  as  though  some  one  had  stirred 
up  Mr.  Novotny  against  me,  but  I  went  again,  and  that  in  the  morning.  The 


342 


Missionary  Work  in  Bohemia. 


door  was  closed.  I  heard  that  they  were  praying.  I  thought,  '  then  they  don't 
pray  only  in  meeting  before  other  people,  but  also  when  no  one  hears  them.' 
I  saw  that  it  came  from  his  heart,  and  that  he  himself  believed  what  he  said. 
Anxious  to  be  present  at  such  a  prayer,  I  went  the  next  morning,  and  attended 


TOWER  OF  CHARLES'    BRIDGE,   PRAGUE. 

family  devotions.  Then  my  business  became  difficult  for  me.  I  could  not  be 
severe  and  coarse.  I  was  dismissed  with  a  good  character.  When  I  told  the 
tax  official  something  about  the  Lord  Jesus,  he  remarked,  '  You  have  become  a 
fool,'  and  really  some  of  the  people  whose  property  I  had  seized  came  to  see 
whether  it  was  not  so.  Some  of  them  are  now  brethren  in  the  Lord.  I  had 
no  prospects.  Mr.  Novotny  advised  me  to  mend  shoes.  I  succeeded  so  far  as 
to  support  my  family,  for  the  Lord  blessed  me.  Then  Mr.  N.  proposed  to  me 


Missionary  Work  in  DoJieinia. 


343 


to  become  a  colporter.  He  promised  me  little  wages,  15  florins  ($6.32)  a 
month,  and  a  little  percentage  on  my  sales.  This  money  was  given  by  the 
brethren  in  Prague  who  had  recently  come  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  Christ,  and 
were  ready  to  support  one  of  their  number  who  would  scatter  the  Word  of  God. 
"At  the  very  start  I  was  arrested  because  I  had  sold  a  Bible  (colporters  may 
only  take  the  names  of  purchasers  to  whom  the  books  must  be  sent  by  mail), 
was  imprisoned,  and  had  to  pay  5  florins  ($2.12)  fine.  When  I  complained  of 
this  among  my  brethren,  they  said  they  envied  me  my  suffering  for  the  Lord 
Jesus.  After  some  months,  when  we  were  assembled  at  Mr.  Novotny's,  came  a 


WAYSIDE  CHAPEL  IN  BOHEMIA. 


police  inspector  and  policeman,  and  our  names  were  all  taken  down.     This 

drove  many  away,  but  also  confirmed  many.     Then  I  moved  to ,  and  now 

there  visit  me  sometimes  as  many  as  thirty  people,  but  sixteen  come  regularly, 
with  whom  I  study  God's  Word.  Among  them  are  some  who  were  drunkards, 
fallen  girls,  and  also  a  thief,  once  eighteen  months  in  prison.  Him  I  fished  for 
as  he  was  catching  fishes.  I  was  afraid  of  him,  but  the  Word  of  God  took  hold 
of  him.  This  man  now  loves  the  Lord  Jesus.  His  sister,  too,  loves  the  Lord 
now.  With  joy  I  can  also  say  that  my  mother,  who  had  previously  opposed  me, 
confessed  the  Lord  Jesus  before  her  death.  It  is  a  peculiar  pleasure  to  me  that 
I  have  a  believing  wife,  who  was  before  an  opposer." 

In  this  simple  quiet  way,  one  soul  after  another  is  being  won  for  the  truth. 
It  is  a  small  beginning ;  a  mere  mustard-seed ;  but  it  has  in  it  divine  life  and 
power.  It  will  yet  grow  to  fill  the  land.-  Will  you  not  pray  that  it  may  grow 
speedily  ? 


BIBLE  SCENES  IN  A  LAND  WITHOUT  THE  BIBLE. 


BY    REV.    J.    D.    EATON.    CHIHUAHUA,    NORTHERN    MEXICO. 


ONE  need  not  brave  the  dangers  and  discomforts  of  a  sea  voyage,  and  of  tent- 
life  amongst  the  Arabs,  in  order  to  visit  a  land  where  many  things  are  done 
almost  as  they  were  done  in  the  time  of  Christ.  In  this  Mexican  city  of 
Chihuahua,  and  in  the  surrounding  fields,  are  many  novel  sights  which  seem  to 
belong  to  Egypt  and  Palestine. 


FOUNTAIN  AT  CHIHUAHUA. 

The  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  Company  kindly  furnishes  us  with  some  pictures 
of  our  city.  The  one  above  represents  the  principal  fountain  to  which,  all  day 
long,  come  the  poor  people  with  pitchers  and  jars  to  carry  the  precious  water  to 
their  homes,  and  to  the  better  houses  of  those  who  can  afford  to  pay  for  having 
it  brought.  (Rev.  xxi,  6.)  The  women,  and  even  little  girls,  after  filling  their 
earthern  jars,  will  deftly  lift  the  heavy  burden  to  the  waist,  then  to  the  shoulder, 
and  often  to  the  head,  and  walk  away  under  it,  with  wonderful  steadiness  and 
grace.  (Gen.  xxiv,  46.)  The  water  for  the  mission  house,  distant  a  block  and 
a  half,  is  carried  in  a  small  barrel  slung  on  a  pole  between  two  men,  who  keep 
step  in  a  kind  of  slow  trot,  and  receive  three  cents  apiece  for  each  trip. 


Bible  Scenes  in  a  Land  wittwut  the  Bible. 


While  there  are  grand  houses  for  the  wealthy  classes,  provided  with  fine 
carpets,  furniture,  and  pianos,  the  homes  of  the  poor  generally  consist  of  but  one 
room,  in  which  is  done  the  cooking,  eating,  sleeping,  and  work  of  an  entire 
family.  The  floor  is  the  beaten  earth  ;  the  walls  are  built  of  mud  bricks,  mixed 
with  straw  and  dried  in  the  sun  (Ex.  v,  7),  and  the  roof  is  flat,  made  also  of 
mud  supported  on  rafters.  Window  there  is  none,  the  light  and  air  having  to 

pass  through  the  open  door. 
There  is  no  stove,  and  some- 
times no  table,  chair,  nor  bed- 
stead. The  people  squat  on 
the  ground,  or  use  low  stools. 
The  bed  may  consist  of  an 
oxhide  or  a  piece  of  matting, 


OLD  CHURCH    OF   SAN    FRANCISCO 
AT   CHIHUAHUA. 


lying  upon  which  the  Mexican  wraps  himself  in  the  blanket  which  has  been 
worn  during  the  day  in  place  of  coat  or  shawl.  In  the  fireplace  is  cooked  the 
simple  meal,  consisting  of  a  thick  soup  of  vegetables  and  meat,  and  perhaps 
some  tortillas,  or  griddle -cakes.  These  are  made  of  boiled  and  hulled  Indian 
corn,  which  is  ground  by  women,  between  two  stones  (Isa.  xlvii,  i,  2),  mixed 
with  water  and  fried  without  seasoning.  The  pale-looking  cake  is  torn  in  pieces 
with  the  fingers,  and  a  piece  bent  into  the  shape  of  a  rude  spoon  is  used  to  dip 
up  some  of  the  pottage  (John  xiii,  26),  both  spoon  and  contents  being  passed 
into  the  mouth.  Firewood  is  too  precious  to  be  used  for  heating  a  room,  and 
the  cooking  for  the  day  is  often  done  with  two  small  sticks,  costing  about  a  cent 
apiece,  (i  Kings  xvii,  12.) 

In  the  country  sometimes  we  find  little  round  ovens,  like  a  hemisphere,  built 


346 


Bible  Scenes  in  a  Land  without  the  Bible. 


outside  the  hut.  For  heating  them,  nothing  comes  amiss  :  grass,  weeds,  brush, 
dried  dung.  (Matt,  vi,  30;  Ezek.  iv,  12,  15.)  There  are  no  fences  to  divide 
the  great  farms,  or  haciendas,  but  landmarks  are  built  of  stone  or  brick,  often 
placed  on  high  points  of  land,  and  whitewashed  so  as  to  be  seen  from  a  distance. 
(Prov.  xxii,  28.) 

The  mixed  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  are  watched  all  day  by  shepherds,  who 
bring  them  home  at  night  to  the  fold.  Other  folds  there  are  for  the  cattle, 
which  during  the  day  have  also  been  herded  in  "  green  pastures,"  and  some- 
times led  long  distances  to  the  "  still  waters."  In  this  "  dry  and  thirsty  land  " 
a  stream  of  water  or  a  "  pool  in  the  desert  "  is  a  great  treasure.  Not  only  the 
"garden  of  herbs,"  but  fields  of  grain,  before  being  planted,  are  covered  with 
a  curious  network  of  furrows  so  that  afterward  they  may  be  watered  evenly 
and  thoroughly  in  sections.  Openings  are  made  or  closed  often  with  the 

naked  foot  (Deut.  xi,  10),  and  so  the 
"  rivers  of  water  are  turned  whitherso- 
ever he  will."  (Prov.  xxi,  i.) 

In  and  around  the  city  "  the  fount- 
ains are  dispersed  abroad  and  rivers  of 
water  in  the  streets."     (Prov.  v,  16.) 
The  price  of  a  garden  includes  pay  for 
a  stream  of  water  for  so  many  hours 
each  week.   Down  one  side  of  a  shaded 
street  this  morning  runs  a  little  brook 
watering  a  row  of  trees.     In  the  after- 
noon it  merrily  rushes  along  the  row 
of  shade-trees  on  the  other  side. 
Sfci    To-night  it  will  be  found  in  still 
another  street  or  making  glad  an 
orchard  or  garden.     (Psa.xlvi,4.) 
The  harvested  grain  is  carried 
to  the  threshing-floor  of  stone  or 
beaten  earth,  in   a   circular   en- 
closure.    Into  this  are  driven  a 
number  of  unmuzzled  cattle  or 

horses  (Deut.  xxv,  4),  to  "tread  out  the  corn."  For  winnowing,  a  breezy 
day  is  chosen,  and  a  long-handled  wooden  fan  is  used,  like  a  huge  snow-shovel. 
With  this  the  contents  of  the  floor  are  tossed  up,  and  "  the  wind  drivetli 
away"  the  chaff,  leaving  the  wheat  to  be  gathered  into  the  storehouse.  (Ruth 
iii,  2.)  When  Ruth  (iii,  15)  held  her  veil  to  receive  the  six  measures  of  barley, 
she  did  as  does  her  sister  here  with  the  reboso  which  is  wrapped  about  her  head 
and  shoulders.  So  does  a  man  often  carry  home  the  corn  or  beans  he  has 
bought,  in  the  blanket,  or  scrape,  which  was  worn  over  his  shoulders.  This  is 
often  put  in  "  pledge  "  for  money,  and  there  is  left  him  but  little  "  raiment  "  to 
sleep  in.  (Deut.  xxiv,  13.) 

The  great  burden-bearer  is  the  ass.  He  carries  leathern  bags  full  of  water, 
jars  of  milk,  bricks,  stones,  and  earth,  wood  from  the  mountains,  ore  from  the 
mines,  straw,  grass,  corn-stalks,  coops  of  fowls,  crates  of  fruit  and  vegetables, 


SADDLED  BURRO. 


Bible  Scenes  in  a  Land  without  the  Bible. 


347 


children,  and  even  a  whole  family  !  For  I  have  seen  father,  mother,  and  two 
children,  besides  many  odds  and  ends,  loaded  on  one  patient  ass  plodding  cheer- 
fully along  at  his  even  and  rapid  pace.  Sometimes  there  will  be  met  in  the  way 
a  woman  mounted  on  an  ass,  her  face  partly  veiled,  while  a  baby  lies  folded 
snugly  in  her  arms,  and  her  husband,  carrying  a  staff  in  his  hands,  walks  at  her 
side.  It  is  a  living  picture  of  the  Holy  Family  going  into  Egypt.  Very  likely 
the  baby's  name  may  be  Jesus,  for  that  sacred  name  is  given  to  many  of  the 
boys  here,  and  even  to  the  girls  ;  and  there  are  many  Marys  and  Josephs. 

But  these  people  who  show  in  their  country  and  habits  so  many  pictures  of 
the  Bible  lands  from  which  some  of  their  ancestors  came,  by  way  of  Spain,  have 
most  of  them  never  seen  a  Bible,  and  of  course  know  but  little  about  the 
Saviour  whose  story  it  contains.  In  their  churches  they  have  horrible  bloody 
images  of  the  Crucified ;  but  the  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary  is  given  the  place  of 

honor  above  the  altar, 
and  to  her  and  to  the 
saints  they  pray  more 
than  to  God. 

In  this  whole  State  of 
Chihuahua  there  are  but 
four  or  five  copies  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Bible 
for  sale,  at  a  price  rang- 
ing from  sixteen  to 
thirty-five  dollars.  It  is 
very  wonderful  to  this 
people  that  they  can 
buy  of  the  missionary  a 
copy  of  the  Psalms  or  a 
Gospel  for  five  cents, 
a  Testament  for  fifteen, 
and  a  whole  Bible  for 
thirty -five  cents.  Not 
half  of  the  men  and  women  know  how  to  read,  but  the  children  are  learning, 
and  many  of  the  old  and  young  together  are  finding  great  joy  in  studying  and 
committing  to  memory  the  words  of  the  Book. 

The  central  plaza,  or  square,  of  the  city  is  named  for  "  La  Constitucion," 
which  gives  to  all  the  right  of  reading  the  Bible  and  worshiping  God  in  the 
way  that  seems  best,  no  matter  how  much  the  priests  may  oppose.  The  two 
main  streets  which  bound  this  plaza  are  called  "Progreso"  and  "Libertad." 
The  mayor  sends  us  a  policeman  every  Sunday  night,  and  on  other  evenings 
when  we  have  meetings,  to  keep  order,  to  protect  us  from  those  who  sneer  and 
mock,  and  who  might  throw  stones  if  they  were  not  watched.  And  so  the 
government  helps  the  gospel  light  to  shine,  knowing  that  a  free  Bible  will  make 
"  liberty  "  and  "  progress  "  in  Mexico  more  sure. 


MEXICAN  ADOBE  HOUSE. 


OTHER  UAN 

ANB  ISLANDS. 


HENRY  OBOOKIAH, 


THE  people  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  are  now  known  as  a  Christian 
nation  sending  their  own  missionaries  to  the  heathen  of  Micronesia.  But 
sixty  years  ago  they  were  themselves  savages  and  idol-worshippers,  who 
had  received  nothing  from  civilized  lands  but  the  sins  of  wicked  sailors, 
whose  ships  touched  their  shores. 
Their  idols  were  hideous  and  ridicu- 
lous, as  you  may  see  by  this  engrav- 
ing of  one  of  the  specimens  which 
are  kept  as  curiosities  at  the  Mis- 
sionary House  in  Boston.  Christian 
people  knew  little  about  the  island- 
ers till  there  landed  in  New  York,  in 
1809,  a  Sandwich  Island  boy  named 
Obookiah.  This  boy's  parents  and 
brother  had  been  killed  before  his 
eyes,  in  one  of  the  native  wars,  and 
he  was  left  sad  and  lonely.  When 
an  American  captain  asked  him  if 
he  would  like  to  come  to  this  coun- 
try on  board  his  vessel,  he  gladly 
said  yes.  Our  young  people  have, 
perhaps,  hardly  heard  the  name  of 
Obookiah,  which  was  a  household 
word  to  their  grand-parents.  They 
ought  to  know,  and  we  will  tell  them, 
the  short  story  of  his  life,  for  it  was  one  of  the  first  things  in  our  mission- 
ary history. 

Obookiah  was  about  seventeen  years  old  when  he  came  here,  an  un- 
taught boy,  clumsy,  dull,  and  heavy-looking.  But  the  captain  took  him  to 
his  New  Haven  home,  and  soon  after  he  was  found  weeping  on  the  steps 
of  one  of  the  buildings  of  Yale  College.  "  Why  are  you  crying  ?  "  asked  a 
kind  gentleman.  "  Because  there  is  no  one  to  teach  me,"  answered  Oboo- 
kiah. He  was  immediately  taken  into  a  Christian  family,  and  eagerly 
began  to  study.  After  a  few  months  Mr.  Samuel  J.  Mills,  who  was  then 
full  of  missionary  zeal,  invited  him  to  his  father's  house  at  Torringford, 


HAWAIIAN   WAR-GOO,    KAILI. 


352 


Henry  Obookiali. 


Conn.  There  Obookiah  went,  and  there  he  was  taught  to  work  as  well  as 
study.  He  made  surprising  improvement,  and  soon  wrote  to  a  New  Haven 
friend  :  "  You  know  I  came  one  morning  to  your  room  in  college,  and  you 
tell  me  read.  You  say  what  c-a-p  spell  ?  then  I  say  c-a-p  pig.  I  spell 
four  syllables  now,  and  I  say  '  what  is  the  chief  end  of  man.'  " 

In  1811  Obookiah  went  to  Andover,  Mass.,  and  there,  as  he  said,  "  My 
wicked  heart  begin  to  see  a  little  about  the  divine  things,  but  the  more  I 
see  to  it,  the  more  it  appear  to  be  impenetrability"  Yet  when  a  friend 

prayed  with  him 
one  day,  and 
said  before  they 
rose  from  their 
knees,  "You 
may  pray  too," 
Obookiah  ut- 
tered these 
words  :  "  Great 
and  eternal  God, 
make  heaven, 
make  earth, 
make  every- 
thing—  h  ave 
mercy  on  me, 
make  me  under- 
stand the  Bible, 
make  me  good. 
Great  God  have 
mercy  on 
Thomas,  make 
him  good,  make 
Thomas  and  me 
go  back  to  Ha- 
waii, tell  folks  in 
Hawaii  no  more 
pray  to  stone 

god.  Make  some  good  man  go  with  me  to  Hawaii,  tell  folks  in  Hawaii 
about  heaven,  about  hell.  God  make  all  people  good  everywhere,"  and  he 
closed  with  :  "Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven."  Still  he  afterwards  said 
that,  at  this  time,  he  wanted  to  get  religion  into  his  head  more  than  into  his 
heart.  "  Sometimes  when  good  people  talked  with  me  on  this  subject,  I 
was  but  just  hate  to  hear  it." 

In  1812  Obookiah  spent  several  months  at  Hollis,  N.  H.,  and  he  wrote  : 
"  I  thought  now  with  myself  that  I  have  a  change  of  heart.  It  was  so  if  I 
mistake  not.  For  the  Lord  Jesus  did  appear  as  the  chiefest  among  ten 
thousand  and  altogether  lovely,  and  his  mercy  appeared  to  be  welcome  to 
a  sinner  as  I."  He  returned  to  Torringford,  and  there  a  friend  asked  : 
"  How  does  your  own  heart  appear  to  you  ? "  "  Oh,  black,  very  black,"  he 


KEKAULUOHI,    A     HAWAIIAN     RULER    IN 


Heiiry  Obookiah.  353 

replied.  "  But  you  hope  you  have  a  new  heart  ;  how  did  it  appear  before 
it  was  changed  ?  "  " Mud"  he  said  ;  " all  mud."  He  now  grew  rapidly 
in  wisdom  and  in  grace.  "  I  seeked,"  he  said,  "  for  the  Lord  Jesus  a  long 
time,  and  found  him  not.  But  still  I  do  think  that  I  have  found  him  on 
my  knees.  Everything  grows  very  clear  to  my  own  view.  Oh,  what  happy 
hours  that  I  had  in  the  night-season !  I  thought  before  that  religion  was 
a  hard  thing  to  get  it ;  making  many  excuses  for  fray-hour,  and  kept  put- 
ting it  off.  But  this  kind  of  feeling  led  me  far  beyond  all  happiness.  I 
cannot  help  think  about  heaven.  I  go  in  a  meadow,  work  at  the  hay  my 
hands,  but  my  thought  no  there.  In  heaven  all  time,  then  I  very  happy." 
He  began  to  talk  of  returning  to  Hawaii  to  preach  the  gospel  to  his  poor 
countrymen.  "  Suppose  your  countrymen  should  kill  you  ? "  said  some  one. 
"  If  that  be  the  will  of  God,  I  am  ready,  I  am  ready,"  answered  Obookiah. 
After  this  he  went  on  studying  in  various  places.  His  industry  was  re- 
markable. With  the  help  of  a  friend  he  tried  to  reduce  his  own  language, 
which  had  never  been  written,  and  was  a  mere  chaos  of  sounds,  to  writing, 
and  "  made  a  kind  of  spelling-book,  dictionary,  and  grammar."  He  kept  a 
diary,  and  wrote  a  history  of  his  past  life.  They  show  a  bright  mind  and  a 
loving  heart,  and  are  full  of  penitence  for  sin  and  joy  in  Christ.  In  1815 
he  was  received  to  the  church  in  Torringford.  He  asked  beforehand  that 
he  might  speak  a  few  words  to  the  people  at  the  time  of  his  admission. 
Mr.  Mills,  the  pastor,  readily  said  yes,  but  forgot  it  when  the  time  came. 
At  night,  Obookiah,  who  was  now  called  Henry,  came  to  Mr.  Mills  with  a 
broken  heart,  and  said  :  "  You  no  let  me  speak,  sir  ;  I  sorry."  Mr.  Mills 
was  much  affected,  and  asked  :  "  What  did  you  wish  to  say,  Henry  ?  "  "  I 
want  to  ask  the  people,  what  they  all  waiting  for,  they  live  in  gospel  land, 
hear  all  about  salvation  ;  God  ready  ;  Christ  ready ;  all  ready,  —  why  they 
don't  come  and  follow  Christ." 

A    FOREIGN    MISSIONARY  SCHOOL. 

In  1816  a  school  was  started  in  Cornwall,  Conn.,  for  the  education  of 
heathen  youth  who  had  come  to  this  country.  It  was  thought  from  Oboo- 
kiah's  case  that  they  might  be  there  trained  to  become  helpers  in  the 
Foreign  Missionary  work.  The  experiment  was  tried  under  the  care  of 
the  American  Board.  Some  of  the  pupils  were  Chinese,  some  Greeks  ; 
there  were  many  Indians  and  several  Sandwich  Islanders.  Obookiah  went 
with  a  friend  on  a  tour  through  Massachusetts  to  collect  funds  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  school.  He  was  now  about  twenty-three  years  old. 
All  the  old  dull  look  had  gone  from  his  bright,  intelligent  face.  He  was 
nearly  six  feet  in  height,  and  his  manners  were  animated  and  graceful. 
He  was  a  living  answer  to  the  great  objection  made  in  those  days  to  For- 
eign Missions.  Here,  before  the  eyes  of  even-body,  was  an  ignorant  hea- 
then transformed  into  a  wise,  loving,  and  faithful  Christian.  It  seemed  as 
if  he  were  to  be  the  best  of  missionaries  to  his  race.  But  he  was  to  help 
them  only  through  others,  whose  interest  he  aroused  in  their  needs.  In 
February  of  1819  he  was  taken  sick  of  a  fever,  and  after  several  weeks  of 
suffering,  he  died.  The  lady  who  had  charge  of  him  said  it  was  one  of 


354 


Henry   ObookiaJi. 


the  best  and  happiest  times  of  her  life.  Obookiah  was  patient,  and  even 
joyful.  After  a  suffering  night,  the  lady  said  :  "  You  are  glad  of  the  morn- 
ing after  a  dark,  distressing  night."  "  Oh,"  he  replied,  "  some  light  in  the 
night,  some  light  of  God."  Once  his  eyes  seemed  fixed  as  if  on  a  delight- 
ful object,  and  when  questioned  about  it,  he  said  :  "Oh,  I  can't  tell  you  all  -} 
it  is  Jesus  Christ."  As  he  grew  worse,  it  was  hard  to  give  up  the  hope  of 
preaching  Jesus  in  Hawaii.  "  But  God  will  do  right,"  he  said,  bursting 
into  a  flood  of  tears.  "  It  is  no  matter  where  we  die.  Let  God  do  as  he 
pleases."  At  the  last  he  bade  his  friends  farewell,  and  with  a  heavenly 


m 


SEMINARY    AT   WAIALUA,   SANDWICH    ISLANDS,   1866. 

smile,  such  as  those  who  watched  him  had  never  seen  before,  he  fell  asleep 
in  Jesus. 

The  Cornwall  school  was  kept  up  only  till  1826.  It  proved  wiser  to  train 
teachers  from  among  the  heathen  in  their  own  lands.  But  the  life  of  Oboo- 
kiah  and  of  the  school  were  not  in  vain.  They  were  the  immediate  occasion 
of  the  wonderful  mission  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  which  was  begun  in 
1820,  and  was  closed  in  1863,  because  it  had  become  a  Christian  land. 
The  pictures  of  Kekauluohi  and  of  the  Waialua  school  indicate  the  mar- 
velous change  wrought  among  the  once  barbarous  people. 


A  HEROINE  OF  HAWAII. 


How  many  of  the  young  people  of  to-day  have  ever  heard  of  Kapiolani, 
ef  Hawaii?  Probably  not  many;  yet  she  ought  not  to  be  forgotten,  for  she  was 
a  true  heroine. 

One  of  the  superstitions  of  the  Sandwich  Islanders  was,  that  certain  places  and 
things  were  tabu,  or  sacred,  and  the  penalty  for  touching  the  tabued  article  was 
death.     Certain  kinds  of  fish  and  swine's  flesh  were  tabu  for  women,  but  not  for 
men.     There  was  a  tabu  upon  the  eating  together  of  a  man  and  his  wife,  or  of  a 
mother  with  her  son.     This  superstition  was,  in  large   measure,  overthrown  just 
before  the  missionaries  reached  Hawaii  in  1820.     The  people  had  supposed  that 
if  men  did  not  kill  whoever  violated  the  tabu,  the  gods  would  certainly  do  so. 
But   when    they  saw   the 
sailors  from  foreign  coun- 
tries paying  no  regard  to 
the  prohibition,  and  eat- 
ing the  forbidden  articles 
without   harm,  they  sud- 
denly  lost    faith    in    the 
power  of  their  gods,  and 
all  at  once  they  overthrew 
their   idols  and   gave  up 
their  system  of  tabu. 

But  while  these  false 
gods  were  removed,  and 
their  prohibitions  were  dis- 
regarded, there  remained 

for  some  years  a  great  fear  of  one  goddess,  Pele,  who  was  supposed  to  inhabit 
the  volcano  of  Kllauea ;  and  no  one  ventured  to  violate  the  tabu  upon  her  do- 
minions. It  is  not  strange  that  the  natives  had  a  great  terror  in  connection 
with  Kilauea,  for  all  travelers  to-day  unite  in  saying  that  no  earthly  scene  can 
be  more  awe-inspiring  than  is  the  near  view  of  this  volcano.  Some  years  before 
the  missionaries  reached  Hawaii,  an  army  was  marching  across  the  island  by  a 
path  which  led  near  the  base  of  Kilauea,  and  during  the  night-time  a  terrible 
eruption  took  place.  While  the  hot  lava  rolled  down  the  mountain-side,  the 
red  and  blue  flames  shot  up  into  the  air,  and  the  ground  shook  so  violently 
that  it  was  impossible  to  stand.  Over  a  part  of  the  army  a  shower  of  sand 
and  cinders  fell,  so  that  when  their  comrades  came  upon  them,  they  found  them, 
some  lying  down  and  some  sitting  upright,  clasping  each  other,  but  all  dead  ! 


NATIVE  GRASS   HOUSE,    HAWAII. 


356 


A  Heroine'  of  Hawaii. 


It  was  this  mountain  which  Pele  was  supposed  to  inhabit,  reveling  in  the  flames 
and  hurling  them  forth  against  all  who  offended  her  or  dared  to  trample  on  her 
domain.  The  natives  paid  her  the  greatest  reverence,  throwing  into  the  crater 
of  the  volcano  vast  numbers  of  hogs,  both  cooked  and  alive,  as  offerings  to  the 
dread  goddess. 

Kapiolani  was  the  daughter  of  a  chieftain,  and  the  wife  of  Naihe,  who  for  a 
time  was  governor  of  Hawaii.  When  the  missionaries  first  knew  her  she  had  two 
husbands,  and  she  was  said  to  be  intemperate.  But  she  was  soon  impressed  by 
the  truth,  and  built  a  church  at  her  home,  which  was  near  the  spot  where  Captain 
Cook  was  murdered,  so  that  the  people  need  not  worship  in  the  way  represented 
in  the  picture  below.  In  the  year  1825,  only  five  years  after  the  missionaries 


NATIVE  CONGREGATION   IN    1823. 

landed,  and  before  the  people  had  in  any  great  numbers  been  brought  under  the 
power  of  the  gospel,  Kapiolani  determined  to  show  them  how  vain  was  their 
superstition  about  Pele.  A  missionary  had  just  gone  to  Hilo,  one  hundred  miles 
across  the  island,  and  the  rough  and  dangerous  path  lay  directly  by  Kilauea. 
Kapiolani  resolved  to  walk  over  the  mountain  and  to  break  the  tabu  of  the 
goddess.  Her  husband  sought  to  dissuade  her,  and  men  and  women  along  the 
way  implored  her  not  to  anger  Pele  and  risk  her  own  life.  She  answered  them  : 
"  If  I  am  destroyed,  you  may  all  believe  in  Pele."  A  woman  who  claimed  to  be 
a  prophetess  of  the  goddess  came  to  meet  Kapiolani,  and  warned  her  against 
approaching  the  mountain  without  an  offering  to  Pele.  But  instead  of  manifest- 
ing any  fear,  Kapiolani  opened  her  Testament  and  read  to  her  of  the  true  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  Saviour  of  men. 


A  Heroine  of  Hawaii. 


357 


When  they  reached  the  crater  of  the  volcano,  there  were  about  eighty  persons 
ip  the  company.     This  crater,  said  by  some  to  be  half  a  mile  in  breadth,  is  filled 


wi'.h  molten  lava,  sending  up  its  sulphurous  smoke,  and  occasionally  shooting  a 
mass  of  flame  thirty  or  forty  feet  into  the  air.     From  the  picture  above,  which 


358 


A  Heroine  of  Hawaii. 


represents  the  crater  of  Mauna  Loa,  a  volcano  near  by  Kilauea,  you  can  get 
some  idea  of  the  terrific  scene ;  only  you  must  remember  that  what  looks  like 
foam  is  fire,  and  that  this  surging  mass,  as  it  rolls  from  side  to  side,  roars  like  a 
tempest,  accompanied  with  explosions  like  the  discharge  of  numerous  cannon. 
Down  to  the  brink  of  this  crater  Kapiolani  went,  eating  some  of  the  berries  which 
were  sacred  to  Pele,  and  threw  stones  into  the  vortex.  This  latter  act  had  been 

regarded  as  peculiarly  offen- 
sive to  the  goddess.  Stand- 
ing very  calmly  in  the  midst 
of  scenes  naturally  so  appall- 
ing, Kapiolani  said,  in  the 
hearing  of  her  people  :  — 

"Jehovah  is  my  God.  He 
kindled  these  fires.  I  fear  not 
Pele.  Should  I  perish  by  her 
anger,  then  you  may  fear  her 
power ;  but  if  Jehovah  save 
me  when  breaking  her  tabus, 
then  must  you  fear  and  serve 
Jehovah.  The  gods  of  Ha- 
waii are  vain.  Great  is  the 
goodness  of  Jehovah  in 
sending  missionaries  to  turn 
us  from  these  vanities  to 
the  living  God  "  Then  she 
called  for  a  Christian  hymn 
to  be  sung.  What  a  grand 
organ  they  had  to  accom- 
pany them  !  After  a  prayer 
was  offered,  she  went  on  her 
way  to  Hilo.  The  power  of 
Pele  was  broken.  The  mass  of  the  people  learned  from  this  brave  act  that 
the  tabus  of  the  goddess  were  vain. 

Was  not  Kapiolani  a  genuine  heroine?  She  lived  ever  after  a  brave  and  yet 
humble  Christian  life,  dying  in  1841,  honored  of  all  the  people.  In  speaking  of 
the  happiness  of  the  Hawaiians  in  receiving  the  gospel,  she  once  said,  with  her 
hands  clasped  and  tears  in  her  eyes  :  "  Our  happiness  is  the  joy  of  a  captive  just 
freed  from  prison."  How  many  prisoners  in  all  parts  of  the  earth  are  yet 
waiting  for  the  gospel  which  shall  make  them  free  ! 

A  Christian  gentleman,  who  visited  the  Sandwich  Islands  in  1829,  speaks  of 
Kapiolani  as  winning  respect  and  sincere  friendship.  "  She  is  so  intelligent,  so 
amiable,  so  lady-like  in  her  whole  character,  that  no  one  can  become  acquainted 
with  her  without  feelings  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  and  respect."  And  yet 
this  was  not  ten  years  after  the  time  when  she  was  a  naked  and  drunken  heathen 
woman.  Is  not  the  gospel  the  power  of  God  in  changing  human  hearts  and  livefc  ? 


HAWAIIAN    WOMAN,    1876. 


GLAD  DAYS  AT  WAIMEA. 


OST  of  the  readers  of  the  Missionary  Herald  know 
something  about  the  great  changes  that  have  taken 
place  in  the  Sandwich  Islands  within  sixty  years. 
Rev.  Lorenzo  Lvons,  who  has  now  been  a  mis- 
sionary for  above  fifty  years  at  Waimea,  in  the 
northern  portion  of  the  island  of  Hawaii,  has  sent 
a  letter  describing  some  of  the  bright  days  in  his 
experience.  Mr.  Lyons  has  been  not  only  the 

—     Sunday-school   man   but    also    the    sweet    singer 

among  the  Hawaiian  churches.     \Ve  wish  we  had  room  for  all 
his  letter.     Here  is  part  of  it :  — 

"I  reached  Waimea,  where  I  now  am,  on  July  16,  1832.  On 
my  first  Sabbath  here  there  was  a  congregation  of  some  twelve 
hundred  natives,  and  a  Sabbath -school  of  some  seven  hundred 
pupils.  These,  with  not  a  dozen  exceptions,  were  clothed  in  the 
native  kapa,  and  seated  on  the  floor  of  earth  covered  with  mats. 
The  meeting-house  was  a  large  grass  building  with  open  doors, 
a  rough  pulpit,  and  one  window  behind  the  pulpit. 

"On  July  16,  1857,  when  I  was  fifty  years  old,  came  my  first 
jubilee.  The  old  grass  meeting-house  and  its  two  successors  had  disappeared, 
and  in  their  stead  stood  a  meeting  house  that  would  compare  well  with  country 
churches  in  the  United  States.  In  it  the  people  assembled  with  representatives 
from  the  fifteen  out-districts,  all  clothed  in  European  style.  No  sign  of  a  native 
kapa  dress  appeared.  It  was  dedication  day.  The  exercises  customary  on  such 
occasions  were  performed.  It  was  a  good  and  joyful  day  in  Waimea. 

"On  May  16,  1872,  after  a  residence  of  forty  years  in  Waimea,  the  people 
made  a  love  feast  for  their  missionary  and  pastor,  a  thing  which  he  did  not 
desire,  but  was  obliged  to  yield  to.  In  the  midst  of  my  historical  address  I 
was  requested  to  stop,  while  a  beautiful  gilt  Hawaiian  Bible  and  hymn-book  were 
presented  me.  After  meeting  the  whole  assembly  joined  in  a  festival.  That  day 
will  long  be  remembered  at  Waimea." 


Glad  Days  at   Waimea. 


A   SUNDAY-SCHOOL   FESTIVAL. 

"  On  the  first  day  of  January,  1880,  an  interesting  sight  appeared  in  our 
meeting  house.  The  Sabbath-schools  of  North  Hawaii  were  assembled  at 
Waimea  for  a  review  of  the  International  Sabbath-school  lessons  studied  in 
these  schools  for  the  past  seven  years.  These  lessons  had  all  been  prepared 
in  the  native  language  by  me,  and  printed  in  the  Hawaiian  newspapers,  and 
studied  more  or  less  in  all  the  Hawaiian  Sabbath-schools.  I  had  previously 
recommended  a  seven  year  review  celebration,  not  only  in  Waimea,  but  in  other 
central  places  throughout  the  islands.  My  recommendation  was  favorably  re- 
ceived, and  such  a  review  celebration  resolved  on  for  the  first  day  of  the  year. 
It  was  a  great  work  to  prepare  a  suitable  and  a  comprehensive  review  lesson 
on  the  whole  Bible.  When  the  day  came  the  review  passed  off  well  in  Waimea. 
We  had  had  Sabbath-school  celebrations  before  in  our  meeting  house,  but  none 
like  this. 

"  In  the  midst  of  the  review  exercises  a  committee,  sent  from  Honolulu,  pre- 
sented to  me  the  contributions  of  the  Hawaiian  Sabbath-schools  as  a  testi- 
monial of  their  love  and  regard  in  view  of  my  services  in  preparing  their  lesson- 
papers  and  hymns.  The  names  of  the  schools,  some  forty-five  of  them,  and  the 


THE    "MORNING   STAR"    APPROACHING    HONOLULU. 

contributions  of  each,  were  engraved  in  gilt  letters,  and  placed  in  a  gilt  frame, 
covered  with  glass.  The  largest  contribution  was  $295,  the  smallest  $1.75. 
Total  contribution  some  twelve  hundred  dollars. 

"Twelve  hundred  dollars  !  I  never  before  owned  at  one  time  such  an  amount 
of  money.  I  wish  the  American  Board  and  all  the  American  people,  young 
and  old,  to  see  that  Hawaiians,  who  are  often  said  to  have  no  gratitude,  nor 
word  for  gratitude  in  their  language,  have  still  something  akin  to  gratitude,  and 
are  capable  of  appreciating  in  some  degree  services  done  for  their  good." 


THAKOMBAU,  A  KING  OF  FIJI. 


THERE  are  few  spots  in  all  the  earth  where  such  sudden  and  marvelous 
changes  have  been  wrought  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  as  have  been  wit- 
nessed among  the  Fiji  Islands  within  the  last  forty  years.  These  islands  are 


THAKOMBAU.  KING  OF  BAU.1 

over  two  hundred  in  number,  though  some  of  them  are  very  small.  The 
scenery  in  various  portions  of  the  group  is  described  as  being  of  wonderful 
beauty,  but  the  people  were  notoriously  brutal  and  vile.  They  were  cannibals 

1  This  and  two  other  cuts  in  this  article  are  taken  from  Fisuier's  Tke  Human  Rate,  by  kind  permission  of  the 
publishers,  D.  Appleton  &  Co. 


363 


Thakombau,  a  King  of  Fiji. 


of  the  worst  sort,  and  every  kind  of  iniquity  flourished  on  every  island.  What 
we  may  be  able  to  tell  in  a  few  pages  of  the  life  of  one  man,  Thakombau,  King 
of  the  island  of  Bau,  will  well  illustrate  what  the  Fijians  were  before  the  gospel 
reached  them,  and  what  they  have  become  since  they  lotued,  as  they  say,  that  is, 
received  the  Christian  icligion. 

Thakombau  was  widely  known,  and  Miss  Gordon  Gumming,  in  her  entertaining 
book  of  travel,  At  Home  in  Fiji,  describes  him  as  a  very  fine  old  man,  stately 
and  chief-like  in  his  bearing,  and  with  clear,  penetrating  eyes.  She  heard  him 
on  New  Year's  morning,  in  1876,  offer  the  first  prayer  in  a  great  assembly  of 
natives  gathered  for  worship,  and  she  speaks  of  his  prayers  as  striking  and  very 
touching.  But  what  of  his  youth  ? 

HIS   CRUELTIES. 

He  was  born  in  1817,  and  was  the  son  of  Tanoa,  the  savage  and  blood- 
thirsty ruler  of  Bau.  In  his  childhood  he  was  called  Seru,  and  when  six  years 
old  was  taken  on  one  of  the  warlike  expeditions  which  in  those  days  were  of 
frequent  occurrence.  The  party  to  which  he  belonged  was  victorious,  and  after 
fifty  men  had  been  killed  a  lad  about  two  years  older  than 
himself  was  captured  and  held  down  before  Seru,  while  he 
beat  him  to  death  with  a  club.  This  was  the  young  chief's 
first  victim,  and  the  lesson  in  cruelty  which  he  so  early  learned 
was  not  forgotten.  We  are  loth  to  repeat  some  of  the  stories 
of  his  cruelties,  and  yet  how  else  can  it  be  known  what  has 
been  accomplished  in  him  and  among  his  people  through  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  ? 

Among  the  terrible  facts  narrated  by  Mr.  Waterhouse,  an 
English  missionary,  who,  after  years  of  unavailing  effort,  was 
at  last  permitted  to  reside  at  Bau,  are  the  following.  While 
the  old  king,  Tanoa,  was  living  he  encouraged  his  son  to  put 
to  de?fh  all  who  might  be  suspected  as  enemies.  Thakom- 
bau was  not  slow  in  following  out  the  suggestion.  On  one 
occasion,  a  rebel  having  been  captured,  the  young  chief  had 
the  tongue  of  the  offender  cut  out,  which  he  devoured  raw, 
and  while  the  sufferer  was  begging  for  speedy  death  Thakom- 
bau was  laughing  in  high  glee.  On  another  occasion,  when 
two  men  were  taken  alive  in  a  battle  at  Viwa,  Thakombau's 
brother  tried  to  prevent  their  being  killed,  and  offered  him  a 
canoe  if  he  would  spare  their  lives.  Thakombau  replied, 
"  Keep  your  canoe  ;  I  want  to  eat  men."  He  made  the 
doomed  men  dig  a  hole  in  the  earth  for  an  oven,  and  cut  the 
fire-wood.  He  then  had  their  arms  and  legs  cut  off,  which 
were  cooked  and  eaten  in  the  presence  of  the  men  who  were  yet  living.  After 
this,  even,  he  tortured  them  in  ways  which  are  too  horrible  to  describe. 

TANOA'S  WIVES. 

Among  the  customs  prevailing  throughout  Fiji  was  one  which  required  that 
at  the  death  of  a  chief  several  of  his  wives  should  be  strangled,  under  the 
notion  that  his  spirit  would  want  company  in  the  unseen  world.  The  mis- 


CANNIB-L    FORK. 


Thakombau,  a  King  of  Fiji. 


363 


sionarits  exerted  all  their  influence  to  put  a  stop  to  cannibalism  and  wife- 
murder.  They  would  often  go  into  the  presence  of  a  savage  chief,  and  beg  for 
the  bodies  of  the  dead  that  they  might  decently  bury  them.  They  were  par- 
ticularly anxious  that  when  the  old  chief  Tanoa  should  die  none  of  his  wives 
should  be  put  to  death,  hoping  thus  to  break  up  the  horrible  custom.  Thakom- 
bau at  that  time  was  not  ignorant  of  his  duty,  and  he  was  persistently  urged 
both  by  the  missionaries  and  captains  of  English  and  American  vessels  to  take 
a  stand  against  the  custom.  He  promised  nothing,  yet  it  was  hoped  that  he 


A   FIJIAN    CANNIBAL  TEMPLE    WITH    VICTIMS. 

would  yield  to  remonstrances  and  entreaties.  But  when  Tanoa,  his  father,  died 
in  1854,  the  missionaries  were  temporarily  absent,  and  as  they  hastened  back  on 
receiving  the  tidings  of  his  death,  they  saw  six  biers  at  the  door  of  the  house 
where  the  dead  man  lay.  On  entering,  they  found  two  of  the  wives  already 
dead,  and  Thakombau  assisting  in  the  process  of  strangling  others.  When  the 
missionaries  cried  out,  "  Refrain,  Sir !  That  is  plenty.  Two  are  dead,"  the 
chief  replied,  "  They  are  not  many  —  only  five  !  But  for  you  missionaries 
many  more  would  have  been  strangled."  In  spite  of  all  remonstrances  the 


364 


Thakombau,  a  King  of  Fiji. 


other  three  were  killed,  and  the  pride  of  Thakombau  was  gratified  at  having 
maintained  a  Fiji  custom  against  all  opposition. 

THE    MISSIONARIES   RECEIVED. 

When  Christianity  began  to  win  many  converts  on  several  of  these  islands 
Thakombau  was  greatly  irritated.  The  missionaries,  on  occasionally  landing  at 
Bau,  would  plead  with  him  very  faithfully,  but  he  would  rebuff  them,  saying 
"  I  hate  your  Christianity."  "  When  you  have  grown  dalo  on  yon  bare  rock 
then  I  will  become  a  Christian,  and  not  before."  Once,  in  a  scoffing  tone,  he 
exclaimed,  "  Wonderful  is  your  new  religion,  is  it  not  ?  But  will  it  prevail  ? 
Will  it  prevent  our  having  men  to  eat?  Not  it."  It  seemed  for  many  years  as 
if  this  chief,  whose  royal  name  was  now  Vuni-valu,  or  Root-of-War,  would  suc- 
ceed in  keeping  the  Christian  faith  out  of  his  dominions.  He  slew  and  ate  his 
enemies  without  number.  The  ovens  of  Bau,  used  only  for  cooking  human 
bodies,  were  said  to  be 
seldom  cool.  Of  such 
atrocious  deeds  Tha- 
kombau made  little  ac- 
count, saying  on  one 
occasion,  "  White  men 
make  good  eating :  they 
are  like  ripe  bananas." 
There  would  certainly 
seem  to  be  but  little 
hope  of  reaching  a  heart 
so  hard  as  his.  But 
the  missionaries  were 
not  at  all  discouraged. 
Though  not  welcomed 
by  Thakombau,  he  yet, 
in  1853,  allowed  them 
to  live  in  Bau,  and  be- 
gin their  labors  among 
his  people.  The  savage 
king  heard  much  about 
the  religion  of  love  and 
peace.  Other  chiefs, 
and  especially  the  Chris- 
tian King  George,  of 
Tonga,  urged  him  to  renounce  the  false  gods  and  accept  the  religion  of  Jesus. 
A  series  of  misfortunes  extending  through  a  long  period  had  humbled  in  some 
degree  the  pride  of  his  heart,  and  he  suddenly  declared  that  the  Christian  re- 
ligion should  take  the  place  of  idolatry  in  his  kingdom.  On  Sunday,  the  3oth 
of  April,  1854,  he  caused  the  two  great  wooden  drums  of  Fiji,  which  had  never 
before  sounded  any  call  except  to  war  or  a  cannibal  feast,  to  be  beaten  as  a 
summons  to  a  great  service  in  which  heathenism  was  renounced,  and  Christi- 
anity embraced.  Bales  of  cloth  were  brought  out  and  distributed,  for  the  out- 
ward sign  of  a  change  from  heathenism  was  the  putting  on  of  some  clothes. 


A  FIJIAN. 


Thakomttau,  a  King  of 


365 


The  Christians  were  called  "  dresses,"  to  distinguish  them  from  the  pagans,  who 
wore  only  the  least  strip  of  cloth.  Hundreds  of  the  people  at  once  embraced 
the  Christian  faith  and  commenced  family  prayer.  Thakombau,  though  favoring 
the  new  faith,  did  not  become  a  Christian  in  heart  until  some  time  after  this, 
but  he  yielded  more  and  more  to  the  power  of  the  gospel  and  the  cruel  practices 
in  which  he  had  indulged  were  totally  forsaken. 

A   NEW   MAN   WITH   A   NEW   NAME. 

In  1857,  three  years  after  the  missionaries  were  received,  Thakombau  having 
put  away  his  many  wives,  was  publicly  baptized,  taking  the  name  of  Ebenezer 
He  stood  up  in  the  presence  of  "  widows  whose  husbands  he  had  slain  ;  sisters 
whose  relatives  had  been  strangled  by  bis  orders,  relatives  whose  friends  be  had 


SCHOOL-HOUSE  AND  CHAPEL  AT  MBUA.  FUI. 

eaten,"  and  made  most  humble  confession,  saying,  with  broken  voice  and  with 
tears,  "  I  have  been  a  bad  man,  I  disturbed  the  country.  The  missionaries  came 
and  invited  me  to  embrace  Christianity,  but  I  said  to  them,  '  I  will  continue  to 
fight.'  God  has  singularly  preserved  my  life.  I  desire  to  acknowledge  him  as 
the  only  and  true  God.  I  have  scourged  the  world."  This  was  twenty-eight 
years  ago.  Thakombau  still  continued  to  honor  the  Christian  name.  He  and 
his  people  had  become  loving  and  gentle.  They  have  altogether  ceased  to  be 
cruel.  One's  life  is  as  safe  in  Fiji  as  it  would  be  in  any  part  of  the  world, 
and  the  kindly  people  care  most  thoughtfully  for  all  who  come  among  them. 
The  missionaries  who  have  labored  there  with  such  marvelous  success  have 
been  English  Wesleyans,  and  they  have  churches,  with  crowded  congregations, 
on  every  island,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  house  in  which  may  not  be  heard  daily 
morning  and  evening  prayer  in  the  family.  There  are  1,400  schools  and  900 
native  preachers  in  Fiji.  Old  Thakombau,  the  once  treacherous  and  bloodthirsty 
cannibal,  died  in  1884,  a  faithful,  gentle,  intelligent,  and  devout  Christian,  who 
was  greatly  respected  and  loved  by  all  who  saw  him.  The  lion  had  become  the 
lamb.  Is  not  the  gospel  which  has  wrought  this  change  the  very  power  of  God  ? 


TOIL  AND  TRIUMPH  IN  MADAGASCAR. 


THE  Island  of  Madagascar,  lying  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  east  of  the  coast 
of  Africa,  is  about  one  thousand  miles  long,  and  from  two  to  three  hundred  miles 
broad.  Its  area  is  larger  than  that  of  the  New  England  and  Middle  States,  with 
Virginia,  or  about  twice  that  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  Little  was  known  of 
this  vast  island  until  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  when  the  English  sent 
a  friendly  embassy  to  King  Radama,  a  wise  and  able  ruler,  who  welcomed  the 
foreigners. 

The  first  missionaries  landed  in  Madagascar  in  1818,  but  they  retired,  and  the 
mission  was  not  begun  till  182^0.  The  first  comers  found  a  singular  people, 
busy  and  shrewd,  but  ignorant  and  superstitious.  They  are  called  the  Malagasy. 
They  had  no  written  language,  and,  of  course,  no  books.  Most  of  the  people 
were  filthy  and  half-naked,  and  their  morals  were  shocking.  They  worshiped 
idols,  and  were  subject  to  cruel  superstitions,  among  which  was  one  that  certain 
days  were  unlucky,  and  that  children  born  on  these  days  must  be  put  to  death, 
or  evil  will -come  to  their  parents.  In  one  of  the  tribes  all  the  children  born  on 
Tuesdays  were  destroyed.  Multitudes  of  lives  were  also  destroyed  by  the  tan- 
gena  ordeal,  a  trial  by  poison  which  was  supposed  to  test  the  guilt  or  innocence 
of  one  accused  of  crime  or  of  witchcraft.  The  trial  was  conducted  in  the  fol- 
lowing way :  The  suspected  person  was  made  to  swallow  three  square  pieces  of 
a  fowl's  skin,  and  after  a  time  a  portion  of  two  nuts  of  the  tangena  tree,  an 
active  poison,  was  administered.  If,  in  the  vomiting  which  followed,  the  pieces 
of  skin  were  thrown  up  uninjured,  the  person  was  pronounced  innocent  of  the 
charge.  But  even  then  the  poison  was  often  fatal  in  its  effect,  so  that  the  victim 
died,  whether  the  ordeal  pronounced  him  innocent  or  guilty. 

King  Radama,  who  welcomed  the  missionaries  in  1820,  allowed  them  to  open 
schools,  and  the  next  year  he  sent  his  nephew  and  ten  other  young  men  to  Eng- 
land to  be  educated.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1828,  there  were  four  thousand 
pupils  in  the  schools,  but  neither  Radama,  nor  any  of  his  people,  had  accepted  the 
Christian  faith.  He  sought  only  the  education  which  the  missionaries  could  give. 
His  Queen,  Ra-na-va-lo-na,  after  murdering  all  who  stood  in  her  way,  seized  the 
throne  and  commenced  her  long  reign,  marked  by  bloody  persecution  of  those 
who  had  anything  to  do  with  the  Christians. 

At  her  coronation,  in  June,  1829,  Ranavalona  took  two  of  the  national  idols  in 
her  hands,  saying,  "  I  received  you  from  my  ancestors.  I  put  my  trust  in  you, 
therefore  support  me."  At  first  she  permitted  the  missionaries  to  teach  and 
preach,  seeing  the  advantages  of  the  education  they  imparted  ;  and  in  1831,  thir- 


Toil  and  Triumph  in  Madagascar. 


367 


teen  years  after  the  first  missionaries  had  landed,  the  first  converts  were  baptized, 
and  what  has  well  been  called  the  "  Martyr  Church  "  of  Madagascar  was  formed. 
But  the  permission  was  soon  withdrawn  and  the  most  violent  persecution  began. 


All  who  refused  to  worship  the  national  idols  were  declared  criminals.  Many 
suspected  persons  were  compelled  to  submit  to  the  tangena  ordeal  The  Queen 
summoned  an  assembly  at  the  capital,  at  which  it  is  said  one  hundred  thousand 
people  were  present,  and  death  was  declared  to  be  the  penalty  to  be  visited  upon 


368  Toil  and  Triumph  in  Madagascar. 

all  who  should  not  within  one  week  renounce  the  Christian  faith.  It  appeared 
that  twenty-four  hundred  of  the  Queen's  own  officers  were  more  or  less  impli- 
cated, and  she  so  far  relaxed  her  decree  that  four  hundred  of  them  were  reduced 
to  the  ranks,  and  two  thousand  were  simply  fined. 

Under  this  persecution  many  of  the  people  fell  away  from  the  faith,  but  thou- 
sands of  them  remained  steadfast.  They  would  meet  secretly  in  each  other's 
houses,  or  they  would  go  twenty  or  more  miles  for  a  midnight  meeting  in  somt- 
secluded  valley  or  on  a  rocky  mountain  side.  Here  they  would  read  from  God's 
Word,  and  sing  their  hymns  of  praise.  Strangely  did  their  numbers  increase 
during  this  "Time  of  Darkness."  Ranavalona  reigned  for  thirty-two  years,  and 
ten  thousand  Christians  were  punished,  either  by  death,  or  exile  from  home,  or  by 
a  heavy  fine  ;  and  yet  at  the  end  of  her  reign,  there  were  many  more  Christians 
in  Madagascar  than  there  were  at  the  beginning.  The  oppressed  disciples  had 
not  the  support  of  the  English  missionaries,  for  they  were  obliged  to  leave  the 
country  in  1836.  The  first  martyr,  a  young  woman  named  Rasalama,  fell  by  the 
executioner's  spear,  August  14,  1837.  In  the  years  which  followed,  hundreds  met 
a  cruel  death  in  one  form  or  another,  because  they  would  not  deny  Christ.  Some 
were  thrown  head-foremost  into  pits  and  were  drowned  in  boiling  water,  others  were 
cut  in  pieces,  or  were  burned.  Some  were  stoned.  There  was  a  high  precipice  at 
Antananirivo,  the  capital,  near  the  Queen's  palace,  to  the  top  of  which  some  of 
the  victims  were  taken,  their  arms  and  feet  tied,  and  they  were  hurled  upon  the 
rocks  below  to  meet  instant  death.  There  were  yet  other  shocking  forms  of 
death  employed  to  terrify  the  people,  and  keep  them  from  accepting  the  new 
religion.  But  in  vain.  The  blood  of  the  martyrs  has  always  been  the  seed  of 
the  church,  and  the  wonderful  patience  and  courage  of  those  who  were  called 
to  face  death,  led  many  to  embrace  the  Christian  faith.  When  Rasalama  was 
put  to  death,  a  by-stander  exclaimed  :  "  If  I  might  die  so  tranquil  and  happy,  1 
would  willingly  die  for  the  Saviour,  too." 

The  persecution  was  specially  fierce  in  the  year  1849,  when  the  Queen  sent  a 
message  to  the  Christians  asking  why,  since  she  had  killed  some  and  put  others 
in  fetters,  and  made  them  slaves,  they  had  not  given  up  praying.  The  Chris- 
tians answered  that  reverence  for  God  and  his  law  made  it  necessary  for  them  to 
pray.  The  Queen  was  furious ;  men  and  women  were  arrested ;  four  persons 
of  noble  rank  were  condemned  to  be  burned  alive,  while  fourteen  others  were 
sentenced  to  be  thrown  from  the  precipice.  Hundreds  of  less  prominent 
offenders  were  fined,  or  publicly  flogged.  As  the  nobles  were  led  to  the  stake 
they  sang  hymns  of  trust,  and  when  the  flames  wrapped  their  bodies,  those  near 
them  could  hear  their  prayers  and  praises.  Just  then  the  rain  began  to  fall,  put- 
ting out  the  fires,  so  that  they  had  to  be  rekindled,  and  while  this  was  done  an 
immense  triple  rainbow  formed,  and  one  end  of  the  arch  seemed  to  the  spec- 
tators to  rest  on  the  very  spot  where  the  martyrs  stood.  Then  the  other  pris- 
oners were  taken  to  be  hurled  from  the  rock  in  the  presence  of  the  vast  crowd. 

But  the  end  of  this  cruel  Queen  came  at  last.  At  her  death,  in  1861,  her  son. 
who  had  secretly  favored  the  Christians,  was  made  king,  and  on  the  day  of  his 
coronation  he  proclaimed  religious  liberty  to  all  his  subjects.  He  reigned  but 
two  years,  but  under  his  Queen,  who  filled  the  throne  for  five  years,  there  was  full 
toleration  for  the  Christians. 


Toil  and  Triumph  in  Madagascar. 


369 


Seventeen  years  ago,  in  1868,  another  Queen  of  Madagascar  was  crowned  as 
Ranavalona  II.  Very  different  in  character  was  she  from  her  predecessor  of  the 
same  name.  At  her  coronation  no  idols  or  idolatrous  services  were  seen.  She 
caused  a  table  to  be  placed  by  her  side,  on  which  lay  a  Bible  and  the  laws  of 
Madagascar,  while  the  canopy  over  her  had  the  four  mottoes  :  "  Glory  to  God"  ; 


"  Peace  on  earth  "  ;  Goodwill  to  man  "  ;  God  be  with  us."  Shortly  afterward  the 
Queen  and  her  husband,  the  Prime  Minister,  were  baptized  by  a  native  pastor ; 
and  after  that  time  the  royal  pair  gave  every  evidence  that  they  were  sincere 
and  humble  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  simplicity  and  fervor  of  their  char- 
acters were  quite  remarkable.  Everything  that  could  be  done  by  them  to  help 
forward  Christian  work  in  the  kingdom  \vas  done.  They  encouraged  the  people 


370 


Toil  and  TrinmpJi  in  Madagascar. 


to  build  memorial  churches,  and  several  noble  edifices  now  mark  the  spots 
where  the  martyrs  fell.  So  eager  were  the  people  to  have  a  share  in  these 
memorials  to  the  faithful  witnesses  for  Christ,  that  officers  of  high  rank,  with 
their  wives,  were  sometimes  seen  laying  the  brick  or  bringing  the  mortar. 
The  national  idols,  which  the  people  superstitiously  feared  to  touch,  were  de- 
stroyed by  the  Queen's  order,  and  Madagascar  to-day,  in  its  government  and  in 


RAVONANAHITRANIARIVO,    CHIEF  OF  THE   MALAGASY    ENVOYS. 

the  purpose  of  its  p  ople,  is  a  Christian  kingdom,  with  over  four  thousand  native 
preachers,  and  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million  souls  under  Christian  instruction. 

This  brief  story  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable  changes  ever  wrought  in  a 
nation  in  a  brief  time  by  Christian  missions  will,  we  hope,  lead  many  to  read 
the  full  account  as  found  in  Mr.  Ellis'  most  interesting  books  on  Madagascar. 
Many  will  be  glad  to  see  the  above  excellent  likeness  of  the  chief  of  the  Mal- 
agasy Embassy,  which  recently  visited  Europe  and  the  United  States. 


A  MISSIONARY  AMONG  CANNIBALS. 


THE  group  of  islands  in  Western  Polynesia  called  The  New  Hebrides,  about 
thirty  in  number,  were  inhabited  less  than  forty  years  ago  by  naked  and  savage 
cannibals.  In  1848  Rev.  John  Geddie,  who  had  been  a  minister  in  Nova  Scotia, 
but  whose  heart  had  long  been  on  fire  with  desire  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the 
heathen,  went  to  Aneiteum,  the  most  southerly  of  the  islands,  to  commence  a 
mission.  The  life  of  Dr.  Geddie,  entitled  Missionary  Life  Among  the  Cannibals, 
prepared  by  Dr.  George  Patterson,  has  just  been  issued,  and  is  so  full  of  inter- 
est that  we  wish  all  could  read  it.  The  author  has  kindly  granted  the  use  of 
some  of  the  illustrations  in  these  pages. 

The  picture  on  the  next  page  shows  the  natives  of  Aneiteum  in  their  heathen 
state,  as  Dr.  Geddie  found  them  in  1848.  They  were  naked,  commonly  painting 
the  face  either  black  or  red.  They  were  selfish,  treacherous,  and  lying.  They 
were  great  thieves,  and  would  teach  their  children  to  steal.  They  were  corrupt 
in  every  way.  The  most  fearful  cruelty  would  cause  no  remark  among  them. 
Revenge  for  any  wrong  was  considered  a  duty.  Cannibalism  was  common,  and 
on  one  island  it  was  said  there  were  no  children  because  the  chief  had  eaten 
them  all  up.  Women  were  slaves,  and  did  all  the  hard  work.  Of  course  there 
were  no  homes,  and  children  grew  up  without  paying  any  honor  to  parents. 

When  Dr.  Geddie  arrived  at  Aneiteum,  every  woman  on  the  island  wore 
around  her  neck  a  stout  cord,  by  which,  with  a  moderate  pull,  she  could 
be  strangled  to  death  ;  for  whenever  a  man  -died,  one  or  more  of  his  wives 
was  strangled.  The  notion  seemed  to  be  that  his  spirit  would  need  some 
company.  Time  after  time,  in  the  early  years  of  his  labors,  did  Dr.  Geddie 
try  to  stop  this  horrid  practice.  In  some  cases  he  succeeded,  and  at  other 
times  he  was  obliged  to  stand  and  look  on  while  the  sons  of  a  man  who  had 
just  breathed  his  last  would  strangle  their  own  mother.  One  of  the  strangest 
things  about  this  strangling  was  that  the  wives  themselves  generally  insisted 
upon  being  put  to  death.  One  case  is  recorded,  happening  after  some  of 
the  people  had  become  Christians,  of  a  woman  who  savagely  bit  a  man  who 
was  trying  to  save  her  from  strangulation,  demanding  that  they  put  her  to 
death. 

It  was  in  November,  1848,  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geddie  landed  on  Aneiteum,  and 
the  people  were  not  at  all  glad  to  see  them.  The  evil  conduct  of  many  traders 
who  had  come  to  the  island  had  led  the  natives  to  dread  foreigners.  They 
had  yet  to  learn  how  different  was  the  errand  on  which  the  missionaries  came. 
Mr.  Geddie  used  to  say  that  the  first  person  on  the  island  who  ever  asked 
him  to  conduct  a  service  was  a  little  boy  who  one  day  said,  as  he  put  his 


37- 


A   Missionary  among-  Cannibals. 


hand  to  his  forehead  and  covered  his  eyes,  "  Come,  let  us  do  so."  So  the  lad 
gathered  other  boys,  and  the  service  was  held.  This  boy  afterwards  became  a 
teacher. 

Left  alone  with  his  wife  upon  an  island  fifteen  hundred  miles  from  the  nearest 


NATIVES    IN   THEIR   HEATHEN    STATE. 

missionary  station,  Mr.  Geddie's  position  for  two  or  three  years  was  not  only  a 
very  trying  one,  but  full  of  peril.  The  natives  often  threatened  to  kill  him. 
But  little  by  little  he  won  their  confidence.  The  second  year  some  of  them 
began  to  pray,  and  sometimes  forty  or  fifty  would  be  present  at  the  Sabbath 
service.  At  the  end  of  the  fourth  year  he  had  not  only  learned  the  language 
himself  but  reduced  it  to  writing,  and  hundreds  of  the  natives  had  been  taught 


A  Missionary  among  Cannibals. 


373 


to  read,  and  hundreds  more  were  in  school.     Nearly  half  the  population  of  the 
island,  numbering  about  four  thousand  souls,  attended  Christian  services. 

The  years  that  followed  were  marked  by  great  growth.  The  people  ceased  to 
fight  each  other.  Instead  of  being  thieves,  everything  was  safe,  without  lock  or 
key.  Large  stone  churches  were  built,  and  were  filled  with  devout  and  happy 
worshiper*. 


The  missionary  work  was  carried  on  not  alone  on  Aneiteum.  The  other 
islands  of  the  group  were  visited,  and  within  twelve  years  from  the  time  Mr. 
Geddie  landed,  twenty  native  teachers  had  been  sent  from  Aneiteum  to  Tana, 
Erromanga,  Vate,  and  other  of  the  New  Hebrides  islands.  The  missionary 
vessel,  the  Dayspring,  was  sent  out  to  aid  in  the  work  in  the  group,  and  the 
picture  here  given  is  of  the  native  crew  on  board  the  Dayspring.  What  a  con- 
trast they  form  to  the  people  as  they  were  before  the  gospel  reached  them  ! 


374 


A  Missionary  among  Cannibals. 


In  the  pretty  church  at  Anelcauhat,  on  Aneiteum,  represented  below,  is  a 
tablet  erected  by  the  grateful  natives  to  their  missionary,  John  Geddie.  On 
this  tablet  it  is  written,  in  their  language,  "  When  he  landed  in  1848  there  were 
no  Christians  here,  and  when  he  left  in  1872  there  were  no  heathen.'"  Was  a  more 
honorable  epitaph  ever  written  ? 


When  Dr.  Geddie  died  Aneiteum  was  the  only  Christian  island  in  the  New 
Hebrides  group.  Now,  however,  one  third  of  the  islands  have  been  occupied. 
On  Aniwa  the  whole  population  attend  church  and  school.  No  sooner  does  an 
island  become  Christian  than  it  sends  out  some  of  its  people  to  plant  stations 
among  the  heathen.  Five  years  ago  the  church  at  Erromanga,  the  island 
where  John  Williams  was  murdered,  had  sent  out  twenty-five  of  its  members  as 
Christian  teachers.  So  the  gospel  wins  its  way  even  among  cannibals. 


THE  PITCAIRN  ISLANDERS. 


A  TRUE  STORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  SEAS. 

IT  was  in  1789  that  a  party  of  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  British  ship 
Bounty  mutinied  near  the  Friendly  Islands  and  turned  the  captain  and  loyal 
sailors  adrift  in  an  open  boat  This  boat  and  all  on  board  made  a  safe  voyage  of 
three  thousand  miles,  and  landed  at  Timor  in  the  East  Indian  Archipelago.  The 
mutineers  made  for  Tahiti.  Nine  of  them  took  Tahitian  wives,  and  with  nine  other 


BOUNTY  BAY 

Tahitians  sailed  the  Bounty  to  Pitcaim's  Island.  This  island  had  been  discovered 
by  a  son  of  the  Major  Pitcairn  who  was  killed  in  our  war  of  the  Revolution. 
It  was  known  to  be  uninhabited,  and  thus  would  afford  a  safe  hiding-place.  Far 
off  it  looks  like  a  desolate  rock,  rising  steep  from  the  sea,  and  a  picture 
representing  it  thus  may  be  found,  with  many  interesting  descriptions,  in  the 
Mission  Day-Spring  for  July,  1885.  But  on  nearer  approach  its  volcanic  peaks 
and  clifls  appear  covered  with  trees,  and  lying  just  outside  the  tropics  it  abounds 
in  tropical  fruits ;  while  it  will  also  bear  the  vegetables  of  the  temperate  zone. 
Its  rocky  coast  and  tremendous  breakers  make  landing  difficult,  and  the  only 
safe  harbor  is  Bounty  Bay. 


376  The  Pitcairn  Islanders, 

Here  the  mutineers  landed,  and  broke  up  their  ship  to  avoid  discovery. 
Safe  from  punishment,  free  from  restraint,  they  may  have  expected  to  be 
happy  in  that  lovely  isle.  But  sin  brings  misery  everywhere,  and  only  two  of 
the  men  died  a  natural  death.  They  fought  and  killed  each  other  till,  in  ten 
years  after  their  landing,  only  one  remained  alive  !  This  was  John  Adarris,  a 
sailor  who  had  never  been  to  school.  He  found  himself  with  the  Tahitian 
women  and  twenty  fatherless  children  dependent  on  him  alone  for  guidance. 
He  had  seen  the  awful  consequences  of  sin,  and  now  felt  the  responsibility  of 
these  souls.  Only  one  book  had  been  saved  from  the  ship  :  the  Bible  and 
English  Prayer-book  bound  together.  Adams  began  to  pray  and  to  study  the 
Bible,  and  was  soon  able  to  read  easily ;  then  he  taught  the  children  reading  and 
writing,  with  the  law  of  God  and  the  blessed  Gospel  of  Christ.  The  children  all 
loved  him  and  called  him  father,  and  learned  readily  what  he  could  teach  them. 
Peace  now  began  her  reign  upon  the  island.  Adams  had  morning  and  evening 
prayers  and  held  Sunday  services,  aided  by  the  English  liturgy.  At  first  he 
always  lived  in  fear  of  discovery ;  but  no  British  ship  touched  at  the  island  for 
twenty-five  years  after  the  landing  of  the  mutineers.  At  last,  in  1814,  two  men- 
of-war  appeared  there.  Their  officers  were  surprised  to  see  a  canoe  put  off,  and 
two  fine,  handsome  young  men  soon  hailed  them  in  excellent  English  and  said  : 
"Won't  you  heave  us  a  rope?"  Springing  on  deck,  they  gave  their  names  as 
Thursday  Christian  and  George  Young,  and  avowed  themselves  the  sons  of  the 
lost  mutineers  of  the  Bounty.  The  English  captains  were  astonished  at  this  extra- 
ordinary discovery  of  men  so  long  forgotten,  but  were  still  more  surprised  and 
excited  when  they  took  the  young  men  below  and  placed  some  food  before  them- 
Both  rose,  and  one  of  them  folded  his  hands  in  prayer,  saying  in  pleasant  and 
suitable  tones,  "For  what  we  are  going  to  receive,  the  Lord  make  us  truly 
thankful." 

This  wonderful  island  colony  was  found  to  contain  forty-six  persons,  mostly 
grown-up  young  people,  with  a  few  infants.  The  young  men  and  women  were 
tall,  handsome,  athletic,  and  graceful,  and  tjieir  faces  beamed  with  kindness  and 
good  humor.  Adams  assured  the  visitors  that  they  were  truly  honest  and 
religious,  industrious  and  affectionate.  They  were  decently  dressed  in  cloth  made 
from  the  bark  of  trees.  Their  houses  were  built  around  an  open  lawn,  and 
were  furnished  with  tables,  beds,  chests,  and  seats.  Their  tools  had  been  made 
out  of  the  iron  of  the  Bounty.  After  a  delightful  stay,  the  ships,  sailed,  leaving 
a  few  gifts  of  kettles,  tools,  etc.,  and  it  was  nearly  twelve  years  before  the 
Pitcairners  were  again  visited  by  an  English  ship.  Captain  Beechey,  of  the 
Blossom,  landed  among  them  in  1825.  He  found  that  an  American  whaler  had 
been  there  before  him,  and  that  one  of  her  men  named  John  Buffett  "  had  been 
so  infatuated  with  the  behavior  of  the  people  that,  being  himself  of  a  devout  turn 
of  mind,  he  had  resolved  to  devote  his  life  to  them."  He  had  proved  an  able  and 
willing  schoolmaster,  and  had  become  the  oracle  of  the  community. 

Captain  Beechey  was  warmly  welcomed  and  spent  some  days  on  shore  with  a 
party  of  his  men.  Every  day  they  dined  with  one  or  other  of  the  families,  and 
were  treated  to  baked  pig,  yams,  taro,  and  sweet  potatoes.  These  were  cooked 
in  heated  stone  ovens  made  in  holes  in  the  ground.  Their  beds  were  mattresses 


The  Pitcairn  Islanders. 


377 


made  of  palm-leaves,  covered  with  sheets  of  cloth  beaten  out  of  the  bark  of  the 
paper-mulberry-tree.  An  evening  hymn  was  sung  by  the  whole  family,  and  at 
dawn  the  guests  were  waked  by  the  morning  hymn  and  the  family  prayer.  Grace 
was  always  said  at  meals,  and  if  any  one  came  in  late  the  others  all  paused  while 
he  also  repeated  it,  and  they  responded  "Amen."  On  Sundays  the  church 
service  was  well  conducted,  Adams  reading  the  prayers  and  Buffett  the  sermon. 
What  will  our  restless  young  folks  say  to  the  fact  that  the  sermon  was  repeated 
three  times,  lest  it  should  be  forgotten,  or  any  part  should  escape  attention  !  Hymns 
were  sung  and  no  one  seemed  wearied.  No  work  was  done  on  Sunday,  nor  any 
boat  allowed  to  quit  the  shore.  Captain  Beechey  wrote :  "  We  remained  with 
them  many  days,  and  their  unreserved  manners  gave  us  the  fullest  opportunity  of 


THE   HOUSE  OF  JOHN   ADAMS. 

becoming  acquainted  with  them.  They  live  in  perfect  harmony  and  contentment, 
are  virtuous  and  cheerful,  and  are  hospitable  beyond  the  limits  of  prudence." 

Four  years  after  this  visit,  in  1829,  John  Adams  died.  Another  leader  had, 
however,  been  raised  up  for  the  happy  islanders  in  1828.  Mr.  George  Nobbs,  an 
Irish  lieutenant  in  the  Chilian  service  under  Lord  Cochrane,  was  returning  to 
England  in  a  ship  which  had  just  touched  at  Pitcairn.  The  captain  said  so  much 
of  the  goodness  and  happiness  of  its  people  that  Mr.  Nobbs  resolved  to  go  there. 
He  did  so,  and  became  pastor,  teacher,  and  surgeon  for  the  community,  which 
now  numbered  sixty-eight  persons.  He  married  a  granddaughter  of  Lieutenant 
Christian,  the  chief  mutineer,  and  for  fifty-six  years,  until  his  death,  the  news  of 
which  has  just  reached  England,  he  continued  to  be  the  beloved  leader  of  the 
flock.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-five. 

In  1852  Admiral  Moresby,  with  the  Portland  man-of-war,  paid  the  islanders 
a  visit,  and  attended  their  church  service  on  Sunday.  The  report  sent  home  to 
England  says:  "The  most  solemn  attention  was  paid  by  all.  They  sang  two 
hymns  in  most  magnificent  style ;  and  really,  I  have  never  heard  any  church- 


378 


The  Pitcairn  Islanders. 


singing  in  any  part  of  the  world  that  could  equal  it,  except  at  cathedrals.  .  .  . 
It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  charm  that  the  society  of  the  islanders  throws 
around  them.  They  are  guileless  beyond  description.  They  depend  for  supplies 
on  whaling-ships,  and  the  sailors  behave  in  the  roost  exemplary  manner  among 
them.  One  rough  seaman,  to  whom  I  spoke  in  praise  of  such  conduct,  said  : 
"Sir,  I  expect  if  one  of  our  fellows  was  to  misbehave  himself  here,  we  should 
not  leave  him  alive."  No  intoxicating  liquors  are  allowed  on  the  island,  except 
a  little  for  sickness. 

In  1856  the  population  had  increased  to  194,  and  it  was  thought  the  island  was 
too  small  for  them.     It  is,  in  fact,  only  two  and  a  quarter  miles  long  and  a  mile 


CnURCi-.    AND    bCMOOLHOUSE. 

broad,  and  a  portion  is  too  rocky  for  cultivation.  The  English  government 
therefore  transferred  the  people  to  Norfolk  Island.  Six  families  of  forty  persons 
who  became  homesick  for  Pitcairn  have  returned  thither,  and  have  now  increased 
to  103,  while  the  Norfolk  Islanders  number  476.  Mr.  Nobbs  remained  with  the 
latter.  They  continue  the  same  kind,  contented,  God-fearing  race.  Many  gifts 
find  their  way  from  England  to  Pitcairn,  and  Queen  Victoria  herself  has  sent 
them  a  church  organ,  of  which  they  speak  with  great  pride  and  delight.  One 
of  a  ship's  company  which  touched  there  last  year  asked  the  islanders,  as  they 
were  about  to  leave  the  vessel,  if  they  wanted  any  Bibles  or  other  books. 
They  said  they  had  plenty  of  Bibles,  but  eagerly  and  anxiously  asked  for  a 
concordance,  or  for  books  explaining  the  Bible.  After  getting  into  their  boat 
they  said :  "We  will  sing  you  a  hymn,  captain,  before  we  go  "  ;  and  they  sang 
"The  Lifeboat"  and  "Pull  for  the  Shore"  in  beautiful  harmony. 

May  we  not  learn  many  lessons  from  these  Christian  Children  of  the  Sea? 


A  PICTURE  THAT  MADE  A  MISSIONARY. 


THERE  has  seldom  been  given  a  better  illustration  of  the  influence  of  pictures 
than  is  afforded  by  a  story  which  accompanies  the  engraving  on  this  page.  Rev. 
Mr.  Richardson,  who  has  been  for  a  long  time  a  faithful  missionary  in  Madagas- 
car, on  his  return  to  England  a  few  years  since,  made  a  public  address  in  which 
he  spoke  of  the  beginning  of  his  purpose  to  be  a  missionary. 

When  he  was  a  boy,  only  seven  years  of  age,  he  saw  a  picture  in  the  Juvenile, 
Missionary  Magazine,  repre- 
senting the  martyrdom  of 
Christians  in  Madagascar  by 
throwing  them  from  a  high 
rock  to  the  plain  below.  The 
picture,  with  its  story,  im- 
pressed the  lad  so  much  that 
he  said  to  his  teacher,  "  Oh  ! 
teacher,  if  ever  I  am  a  man 
I  will  go  and  be  a  missionary 
there."  Seventeen  years  after 
this,  when  he  had  finished  his 
studies  and  was  ready  for  ser- 
vice, he  said,  "  Of  course  I  go 
to  Madagascar,  because  that 
story  made  me  a  missionary." 
A  late  number  of  the  Juvenile 
Missionary  Magazine  has  re- 
produced the  picture,  and  we 
have  here  a  copy  of  it.  It 
shows  how,  in  the  days  of 
persecution  in  Madagascar, 
the  Christians  were  suspended 
by  a  rope  over  a  precipice, 
and  after  hanging  there  for 
a  while,  the  rope  was  cut  let- 
ting the  victims  fall  to  meet  MARTYRS  IN  MADAGASCAR. 
instant  death.  Many  Christians  perished  in  this  way,  and  others  were  speared 
or  poisoned.  Some  of  the  brightest  stories  of  faithfulness,  even  unto  death,  are 
to  be  found  in  the  history  of  the  converts  in  Madagascar.  The  government  of 
this  great  island,  which  has  an  area  somewhat  greater  than  that  of  England. 
Scotland,  and  Ireland  combined,  was  determined  to  crush  out  the  new  religion, 
and  the  Queen  gave  repeated  orders  that  every  person  found  praying  or  reading 


380  A  Picture  that  Made  a  Missionary. 

the  Bible  should  be  put  to  death.  Notwithstanding  all  this  the  number  of  con- 
verts increased,  and  the  Queen's  only  son,  named  Rakotondrama,  then  but 
seventeen  years  of  age,  sided  with  the  Christians.  The  Prime  Minister  said  to 
the  Queen  :  "  Madam,  your  son  is  a  Christian ;  he  prays  with  the  Christians,  and 
encourages  them  in  this  new  doctrine.  We  are  lost  if  your  Majesty  do  not  stop 
the  prince  in  this  strange  way."  But  the  Queen  would  not  destroy  her  son. 
Afterwards  the  Prime  Minister  addressed  the  prince  :  "  Young  man,  your  head 
must  fall,  for  you  show  that  you  also  are  a  Christian."  "  Yes,"  he  replied, 
41 1  am  a  Christian ;  and  if  you  will,  you  may  put  me  to  death,  for  /  must  pray." 
Although  the  Prime  Minister  relented  at  the  time,  the  persecutions  went  on  until 
God  touched  the  heart  of  Queen  Ranavalona,  the  predecessor  of  the  present 
sovereign,  and  made  her  a  Christian.  The  story  of  her  conversion  is  most 
interesting.  It  seems  that  there  was,  in  the  palace,  a  Bible  which  had  received 
no  honor  of  any  kind.  But  when  Rasoherina  died,  and  Ranavalona,  the  new 
Queen,  remained  in  seclusion  according  to  the  custom,  she  took  up  this 
neglected  Bible  and  read  it  a  great  deal.  Soon  after  she  sent  for  the  three 
eldest  officers  and  told  them  that  she  was  convinced  that  there  must  be  a  God 
who  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  she  was  going  to  pray  to  him.  Soon 
a  Christian  service  was  commenced  in  the  royal  apartments,  and  from  this  sprang 
what  is  now  the  Palace  Church,  which  has  a  large  and  fine  stone  edifice.  This 
Queen  lived  and  died  in  the  Christian  faith,  and  her  successor,  Ranavalona  III, 
who  was  crowned  in  1883,  is  a  firm  believer,  and  favors  in  every  way  the  work 
of  the  missionaries.  There  is  no  longer  any  outward  hindrance  in  Madagascar 
to  those  who  would  follow  Christ,  and  already  there  are  more  than  a  quarter  of 
a  million  of  people  who  assemble  Sabbath  by  Sabbath  in  Christian  churches. 

This  picture  is  interesting  as  showing  how  the  gospel  triumphs  over  darkness 
and  cruelty.  On  the  very  spot  here  represented,  the  scene  of  such  bitter  hatred 
to  Christians  and  Christian  truth,  now  stands  a  church.  At  a  meeting  in 
that  church  the  present  Prime  Minister,  an  earnest  Christian,  is  reported  as 
saying,  — 

"  Standing  upon  this  spot  years  and  years  ago  there  were  gathered  together 
some  officers  of  the  kingdom.  My  father  was  there,  and  a  little  girl  was 
brought  before  him.  My  father  looked  at  that  little  girl,  and  said  :  '  Take  the 
child  away ;  she  is  a  fool.'  The  little  girl  raised  herself,  and  said  :  '  No,  sir,  I 
am  no  fool ;  but  I  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Throw  me  over.'  My  father 
the  second  time  said :  '  Take  the  child  away ;  she  is  a  fool.'  She  said :  '  No, 
sir,  I  am  no  fool ;  but  I  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Throw  me  over.'  " 

She  was  accordingly  hurled  over  the  rock.  It  might  seem  as  if  that  little 
girl's  life  availed  nothing.  She  died  young,  but  the  witness  she  gave  for  Christ 
was  not  in  vain.  If  she  did  nothing  more,  we  can  see  that  the  pictured  story 
of  that  persecution  made  a  missionary,  one  of  the  few  noble  men  who  are  now 
under  God's  blessing  making  Madagascar  a  Christian  land.  She  may  have 
accomplished  more  by  her  early  death  than  she  could  have  done  by  a  long 
life. 


THE  INDIANS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. -1880. 


THERE  are  in  the  United  States  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
Indians,  not  including  an  unknown,  but  prob- 
ably not  very  large,  number  in  Alaska.  More 
than  half  of  these  Indians  dress  as  white 
people  do,  and  are  in  some  good  degree  civil- 
ized. The  other  half  are  dressed  in  a  motley 
way,  in  skins  of  animals  or  blankets ;  they 
paint  and  wear  feathers  and  long  hair,  and 
are  called  "  wild  "  Indians.  It  used  to  be 
thought  that  when  this  country  was  discov- 
ered there  were  millions  of  red  men  upon 
the  continent,  but  it  is  now  believed  that 
there  were  not  many  more  then  than  there 
are  to  day.  But  little  by  little  they  have 
been  driven  back  from  the  seaboard,  to- 
wards the  interior,  and  there  are  now  com- 
paratively few  tribes  on  this  side  of  the 
Mississippi  River.  That  the  Indians  have 
suffered  great  wrongs  at  the  hands  of  white 
men  all  admit.  Territories  have  been  given 
them  to  live  in,  and  no  sooner  were  they  es- 
tablished in  their  homes  than  their  fine  lands 
were  coveted  by  those  who  lived  near  them, 
and  they  have  been  removed  against  their 
will  to  some  other  less  desirable  location. 
Pushed  back  into  the  wilderness  they  have 
been  allowed  to  stay  only  till  the  explorer 
and  emigrant  caught  up  with  them,  and  then, 
either  by  threats  or  the  bayonet,  they  have 
been  obliged  to  move  on.  The  story  of  the 
broken  promises  made  to  the  Indians  is  a 
very  sad  one.  We  must  allow  that  if  as  a 
race  they  are  skilled  in  treachery,  they  have 
had  a  good  school  in  which  to  learn  the  art.  AN  INDIAN  GIRL- 

But  while  the  Indians  have  greatly  suffered  at  the  hands  of  white  men,  they 


382 


The  Indians  of  North  America. 


have  not  resisted  the  efforts  of  good  people  to  civilize  and  Christianize  them. 
There  are  now  over  350  schools  established  among  them,  and  more  than  forty 
thousand  of  them  have  learned  to  read.  Various  societies  have  begun  missions 
among  them,  and  some  of  the  tribes  are  so  far  advanced  that  they  maintain 
schools  and  churches  with  but  little  help  from  others.  The  Cherokees  and 
Choctaws,  now  occupying  the  territory  west  of  Arkansas,  once  lived  in  Georgia 


and  Mississippi,  and  the  American  Board  had  missions  among  them  as  long 
ago  as  1816.  They  were  driven  from  their  homes  by  fraud  and  force  in  1838, 
and  though  a  quarter  part  of  them  died  on  the  way  to  their  new  territory,  they 
have  since  prospered  and  have  become  so  far  Christian  tribes  that  the  Board 
has  ceased  its  work  among  them. 

THE    WILD    INDIANS. 

The  picture  above  gives  a  fair  representation  of  the  way  in  which  many 


The  Indians  of  North  America. 


383 


Indian  tribes  live.  It  is  a  hard  life.  Of  course  they  are  exposed  to  all  kinds 
of  peril  from  storm  and  cold,  and  as  they  cultivate  very  little  land,  and  depend 
chiefly  for  food  upon  hunting  and  fishing,  they  often  suffer  greatly  from  hunger. 
When  game  is  plentiful  they  feast  like  gluttons ;  at  other  times  they  almost 
starve.  And  yet  it  requires  a  long  course  of  training  to  induce  them  to  give  up 
this  wild  form  of  life  and  settle  down  in  permanent  homes.  They  prefer  to  roam. 

The  Indians  are  not  without  a 
religion  of  their  own,  though  each 
tribe  has  its  peculiar  traditions. 
They  are  full  of  superstitions, 
and  yet  believe  in  one  Great 
Spirit.  One  tribe,  the  Shastikas, 
have  the  legend  concerning  the 
creation  that  the  creator  was  an 
Old  Mole,  who  heaved  the  world 
into  existence  by  burrowing  un- 
derneath somewhere.  They  also 
believe  that  the  sun  and  moon 
had  each  at  first  nine  brothers. 
The  sun's  brothers  were  hot  like 
himself,  but  the  moon's  were 
freezing  cold.  Then  the  prairie 
wolf  slew  them  all,  and  so  men 
were  saved  from  being  burned  up 
by  the  suns,  and  from  being  froz- 
en by  the  moons.  They  think  that 
when  it  rains  some  sick  Indian  in 
heaven  is  weeping,  and  that  the 
flood  was  caused  by  the  tears  of 
angels  weeping  over  the  death 
of  a  good  Indian. 

The  traditions  that  prevail 
among  the  tribes  differ  greatly, 
but  all  the  wild  Indians  seem 
to  have  great  faith  in  their  "  medicine  men."  These  doctors  profess  to  cure 
by  magic  arts,  and  though  they  often  administer  roots  and  herbs  to  their 
patients  their  chief  reliance  is  upon  their  "  charms."  When  they  come  to  a 
sick  man  they  are  usually  dressed  in  a  fantastic  way,  sometimes  in  the  skin 
of  a  bear,  with  a  mask,  having  about  their  necks  strings  upon  which  are  hung 
the  skins  of  bats  and  snakes,  the  horns  and  hoofs  and  tails  of  all  sorts  of  ani- 
mals. Then  they  dance  around  their  patient,  rattling  their  charms,  jumping 
and  growling  like  bears.  They  think  in  this  way  to  drive  off  the  evil  spirit. 

THE  DAKOTAS. 

It  has  often  been  doubted  whether  such  wild  people  as  we  have  described, 
with  such  strange  and  degraded  superstitions,  could  ever  be  tamed  and  Chris- 
tianized. But  no  one  can  doubt  on  this  point  who  will  take  a  little  pains  to 
learn  what  has  already  been  done.  Missions  have  had  as  great  success  among 


THE    MEDICINE    MAN. 


384  The  Indians   of  North  America. 

Indians  as  among  any  class  of  pagans,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  bad  faith 
with  which  the  tribes  have  been  treated  by  white  men  they  might  perhaps  have 
all  been  civilized  by  this  time.  The  American  Board  has  had  a  mission  among 
the  Sioux  and  other  Indians,  who  live  in  Dakota  Territory,  west  of  Minnesota. 
This  important  mission  was  transferred  in  1883  to  the  care  of  the  American 
Missionary  Association.  Fort  Berthold,  the  most  distant  post,  is  about  450  miles 


PIERRE  S    LODGE,   FORT    BERTHOLD. 

northwest  from  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  and  the  missionary  of  that  place,  Rev. 
Charles  L.  Hall,  has  sent  us  a  letter  and  some  pictures  illustrating  the  condition, 
past  and  present,  of  the  Indians  at  that  station.  Here  is  Mr.  Hall's  letter  :  — 

"  Such  houses  as  the  one  above,  mixed  in  with  others  more  after  the  fashion 
of  frontier  men's  log-houses,  make  up  the  Indian  village  at  Fort  Berthold, 
Dakota  Territory,  47^°  N".,  on  the  Missouri  River.  Here  three  tribes  have  lived 
together  amicably  for  fifteen  years,  two  of  them  for  forty  years.  -They  are  the 
remants  of  three,  perhaps  four,  large  tribes  that  have  lived  here  ever  since  Lewis 
and  Clarke  explored  the  Upper  Missouri  in  the  beginning  of  the  century.  Before 
the  American  Board  began  work  here,  three  years  ago,  this  country  was  supposed 
to  be  in  the  Great  American  Desert.  Instead  of  that  we  find  ourselves  in  the 
midst  of  the  great  wheat-producing  northwest ;  or  rather  north-inferior ;  for  we 
are  just  in  the  center  of  North  America.  The  wheat  fields  approach  us  con- 
tinually from  the  East,  while  fresh  buffalo-steaks  yet  come  to  our  table  from  the 
West.  Corn,  potatoes,  roots,  tomatoes,  and  vegetables  come  from  the  garden 
beside  us,  and  haunches  of  venison  from  all  around  :  while  buffalo,  and  otter, 
and  bear,  and  lynx,  and  mountain  sheep  skins,  and  furs,  furnish  mats  for  the 
feet,  and  spreads  for  the  bed  in  the  cold  winter  gales. 

"  But  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  just  south  of  us,  is  running  through  to 
the  Yellow-Stone,  and  settlers  are  coming  thick  and  fast,  and  the  game  will  soon 
be  gone.  The  Berthold  Indians  are  finding  themselves  face  to  face  with  white 
people,  and  their  old  ways  of  living  are  becoming  impossible.  Will  they  bear 


The  Indians  of  North  America.  385 

up  before  the  coming  crowd,  and  mingle  with  it,  or  will  they  be  pushed  back  to 
die  off  in  the  narrowing  wilderness  ?  This  is  the  problem  we  are  here  to  solve. 
It  is  being  solved  for  many  of  the  Dakota,  or  Sioux,  living  east  of  us.  They  are 
taking  up  government  land  as  white  settlers  do,  and  mingling  with  Americans, 
and  learning  their  language.  The  gospel  has  done  this  there  and  it  will  do  it 
here. 

" The  people  here  are  ' very  religious'  The  old  man  whose  picture  is  given 
below  is  the  sacred-man  of  the  Mandans.  I  became  acquainted  with  him,  as  he 
was  sitting  nearly  naked  one 
summer  Sunday  outside  of 
a  lodge,  when  we  came  into 
the  Indian  village  to  hold 
a  meeting.  The  G  r  o  s 
Ventres  chief,  a  big  fat 
man,  said  :  '  It's  very  hot. 
You  sacred  -  men,  among 
you  all,  ought  to  make  it 
rain,  and  cool  us  off.'  The 
old  sacred-man,  Black 
Tongue,  took  hold  of  his 
shell  ear-rings  and  said : 
'  It  will  rain  when  I  shake 
these.'  He  is  a  conserva- 
tive old  man,  who  clings  to 
the  old  customs,  and  cos- 
tumes. He  laments  that 
not  one  of  the  young  men 
will  learn  the  sacred  tra- 
ditions and  become  a  'sa- 
cred-man '  in  his  place.  The  only  one  who  could  do  so  easily  has  had  enough 
Christian  education  to  keep  him  from  going  in  the  old  paths  ;  he  believes  the 
Bible.  Still,  the  old  man  comes  often  to  listen  to  the  gospel,  and  insists  that  it 
is  just  like  his  Mandan  stories  about  the  flood,  and  about  the  Saviour,  the  'Life- 
giver,'  who  went  away  and  said  he  would  come  back  again,  and  then  they  would 
be  well  off,  and  rejoice.  We  say  :  '  Amen  ; '  '  whom  you  ignorantly  worship,  him 
declare  we  unto  you."  ' 

THE    REE    INDIANS. 

Mr.  Hall  writes  also  of  the  Rees,  in  whom  he  is  much  interested  :  "  They  are 
the  largest  tribe  here.  In  the  Indian  sign  language,  in  use  by  the  different  tribes 
of  the  West  when  they  wish  to  communicate  with  each  other,  the  Rees  are  sig- 
nified by  the  same  motions  with  the  thumbs  and  forefingers  that  are  made  in 
shelling  corn.  They  are  the  corn-shellers.  The  dwarf  Ree  corn  is  their  pe- 
culiar possession,  which  their  tradition  says  was  given  to  them  by  God,  who  led 
them  to  the  Missouri  River,  and  instructed  them  how  to  plant  it.  The  Rees,  ac- 
cording to  their  own  account,  do  not  cut  and  gash  themselves,  or  go  about 
wailing  when  a  friend  dies,  as  the  Gros  Ventres  do,  but  go  and  listen  to  the 
sacred-man  who  preaches  to  them  about  heaven,  and  so  they  are  comforted. 


386  The  Indians  of  Notth  America. 

"  Our  great  hope  is  in  the  youth  and  children.  Many  of  the  young  men  want 
to  become  white  men.  One  went  so  far  last  fall  as  to  come  to  me  with  the  request, 
*  Father,  they  say  you  are  skillful,  they  told  me  to  come  to  you.  The  agent 
has  given  me  a  pair  of  shoes ;  but  they  have  no  squeak  in  them,  as  white  peo- 
ples' shoes  have  ;  perhaps  you  put  a  squeak  in  them  ? '  The  boys  and  girls  are 
like  all  others  in  the  world,  except  that  they  have  not  been  tamed  so  much  as 
white  children.  Their  parents  let  them  run  wild,  and  they  are  superstitious 
about,  and  fearful  of,  the  school-house  and  the  sacred-writing  people,  and  we 
have  to  watch  for  our  game.  They  like  to  write  on  their  slates  for  a  while,  and 
then  they  are  off  shooting  arrows ;  spinning  whip-tops  made  of  ash  or  elm  boughs  ; 
sliding  down  hill  on  barrel  staves  ;  or  playing  marbles ;  or  making  mud  images 
of  buffalo,  or  deer,  or  mountain  sheep,  or  ponies,  at  which  some  are  quite 


INDIAN    BABY    BASKET. 

skillful.  The  old  women  confine  their  art  to  the  useful,  and  continue  to  make 
their  old-fashioned  pottery,  roughly  molded  by  hand,  and  baked  first  on  one 
side  and  then  on  the  other  by  turning  before  the  open  wood  fire  in  the  pit  in  the 
center  of  the  lodge.  Another  useful  art  in  which  the  old  women  are  skillful  is 
that  of  boat-building.  A  buffalo  or  a  bull's  hide  is  stretched  on  a  frame  made 
of  willow  sticks,  and  makes  a  round  tub  like  boat,  one  of  which  may  be  seen 
represented  in  the  picture  of  Pierre's  Lodge.  The  Indians  are  skillful  to  make 
these  boats  go  with  one  paddle  where  they  wish ;  but  a  white  man  might  do 
about  as  well  in  a  wash-tub. 

"  We  have  only  one  little  mission  house.  We  have  for  the  present  a  room  for 
our  school  in  the  government  school-house,  but  we  must  build  a  school-house, 
and  have  two  lady  teachers  for  it  soon,  to  teach  cooking  and  sewing  and  house- 
cleaning,  and  all  household  arts,  as  well  as  reading  and  writing  and  arithmetic 
on  week-days ;  and  on  Sundays  and  at  all  times  to  tell  the  gospel  truths  that 
are  the  first  needs  of  this  people.  Help  us" 

INDIAN  SCHOOLS. 

In  these  Christian  settlements,  such  as  the  one  Mr.  Hall  describes,  the 
Indians  have  begun  to  take  each  his  allotment  of  land,  and  to  cultivate  it  as 
thrifty  farmers  do.  Instead  of  depending  upon  the  chase,  they  now  use  the 
plow  and  hoe,  and  the  women  no  longer  are  slaves  cutting  the  fire-wood  and 


The  Indians  of  North  America. 


387 


doing  all  the  hard  work.  The  young  men  and  women  are  attending  school, 
and  many  of  them  are  bright  scholars.  Some  young  men  are  in  the  Institution 
at  Hampton,  Virginia,  and  still  more  are  in  other  institutions  located  among  the 
tribes.  The  Dakota  missionaries  are  greatly  interested  in  the  Normal  Training 
School,  at  Santee  Agency,  Nebraska.  Fifteen  years  ago  was  the  first  framed 
school  building  erected.  Soon  afterward  the  "  Dakota  Home  "  was  built  as  a 
girls'  school,  and  eight  years  ago  a  "Young 
Men's  Hall  "  was  added.  These  buildings 
cost  about  $12,000,  and  they  are  occupied 
by  about  one  hundred  pupils,  with  their 
six  teachers.  The  catalogue  of  the  schools 
gives  both  the  English  and  Indian  names 
of  the  scholars,  with  the  meaning  of  the 
Indian  names.  Among  them  we  find  these  : 
Wicanhpitowin,  Blue  Star ;  Mazanasnas- 
nawin.  Jingling  foot  bells  ;  Sabekewadhe, 
Blackens  the  ground  with  the  slain.  The 
last,  especially,  seems  a  sad  name  for  a 
girl,  but  it  shows  the  warlike  nature  of  her 
parents.  Here  are  some  of  the  names  of 
the  young  men  ;  Wakanhdikokipapi,  Fear- 
ful thunder  ;  Nasu,  Brains  ;  Asaeyapi,  Sent 
with  a  shout  ;  Koyakedan,  Little  clothes. 
These  scholars  have  come  from  five  dif- 
ferent tribes  and  are  to  be  the  teachers 
and  the  preachers  to  the  Indians  in  the 
future.  Rev.  Alfred  L.  Riggs,  who  is  at 
the  head  of  the  schools,  says  that  the  pu- 
pils form  an  encouraging  class  to  work  for. 
He  tells  about  one  boy,  Hugh,  who  caught 
three  hundrtd  muskrats,  and  so  bought 
his  school  clothes,  another  boy  walking 
one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  to  reach 
Santee  Agency,  so  eager  was  he  to 
learn.  INDIAN  BABY  CARRIAGE. 

GIVE  THE  INDIANS  THE  GOSPEL. 

What  has  been  accomplished  among  the  Dakotas  has  cost  long  and  faithful 
labor.  The  two  brothers  Pond,  and  Drs.  Williamson  and  Riggs,  with  their 
children  and  other  successors,  have  toiled  often  amid  great  discouragements. 
But  they  have  translated  the  Bible  into  the  language  of  the  Dakotas,  and  those 
who  live  see,  instead  of  painted  savages  clad  in  blankets,  quiet  and  orderly 
citizens  and  hundreds  of  devoted  church  members.  Aside  from  other  helps 
to  a  civilized  and  Christian  life,  the  Dakotas  have  a  newspaper,  the  lapi 
Oaye,  or  The  Word  Carrier,  six  pages  of  which  are  printed  in  their  native  lan- 
guage, and  two  in  English.  The  last  number  tells  of  a  little  Cherokee  girl  who 
came  to  live  with  a  Christian  lady.  When  the  Indian  girl  was  sick  and  near  to 
death,  she  said  to  her  mistress  :  "  How  long  have  you  known  these  things,  that 


388 


The  Indians  of  North  America. 


Jesus  loves  us,  and  that  he  died  for  us  ?  "  Her  mistress  answered  "  Oh,  a  great 
many  years  —  always."  The  child  turned  to  her  with  tears,  and  said  reproach- 
fully, "  And  you  never  told  us  !  My  mother  and  my  grandmother  died  without 
knowing  Jesus.  Why  did  you  not  come  before  and  tell  this  great  thing  to  us,  so 
that  they  too  could  have  known  the  way  of  life  ? "  Can  any  of  us  give  a  good 


reason  why  we  ha\e  not  clone  more  to  tell  the  heathen  of  Him  who  alone  can 
save  them  ?  It  will  not  be  of  much  use  for  the  people  of  America  to  think  of 
how  they  have  neglected  and  abused  the  Indians,  unless,  in  sorrow  for  the  past, 
they  now  give  themselves  to  efforts  to  aid  them.  There  are  thousands  of  red 
men  who  are  still  pagans,  and  the  least  we  can  do  for  them  is  to  send  them  the 
Christian  teacher  and  preacher.  So  let  us  heed  the  last  words  of  Mr.  Hall's 
letter  from  Fort  Berthold.  "  HELP  us." 


389 


MISSION  SCHOOLS. 


IN  all  heathen  nations  education,  where  there  is  any,  is  confined  to  the  few. 
Especially  is  it  denied  to  women.  In  many  lands  it  was  supposed  that  women 
could  not  learn ;  in  others  it  was  thought  it  would  spoil  them  if  they  knew  any- 
thing. Dr.  Jessup  tells  us  of  a  Syrian  Moslem  whom  he  asked  to  send  his 
girls  to  school,  but  who  sneeringly  answered  :  "  Educate  a  girl!  You  might 
as  well  attempt  to  educate  acatf  If  that  Moslem  is  alive  now  he  may  see, 
any  day,  hundreds  of  Mohammedan  girls  at  school  in  his  city  of  Beirut  And 
wherever  the  gospel  goes  there  the  children  of  both  sexes  are  brought  into 
schools.  Here  is  a  picture  of  Hindu  girls,  just  such  a  gathering  as  may  be 
seen  in  scores  of  Christian  schools  in  India. 


WHAT    MISSION   SCHOOLS    DO. 

They  teach,  of  course,  the  various  branches  of  learning,  but  they  teach  the 
Bible  and  religious  truth  very  much  more  than  is  done  in  our  schools.  The 
scholars  are  told  at  first  that  the  Christian  teachers  came  to  them  to  lead  them 
to  Christ  and  to  make  them  intelligent  and  useful  Christians.  This  is  what  the 
schools  are  for,  not  to  make  learned  men  and  women,  but  rather  Christian 
wives  and  mothers,  Christian  teachers  and  preachers.  And  this  they  are  doing 
grandly.  A  Turkish  pasha,  when  addressing  a  girls'  school,  told  the  scholars 
that  when  they  went  back  to  their  homes  in  the  villages  they  must  make  the 
people  say,  not,  "  a  girl  has  come,"  but  rather,  "  a  school  has  come."  These 
girls,  taught  in  mission  schools,  are  becoming  teachers  wherever  they  go.  One 
of  the  missionaries  in  Turkey  writes  of  a  scholar  from  the  Constantinople 
Home,  who  left  the  Home,  and  nothing  was  heard  about  her  for  a  long  time. 
One  day  there  came  word  from  a  village  among  the  mountains,  which  the  mis- 


390 


Mission  Schools. 


sionaries  had  known  little  or  nothing  about,  that  there  were  quite  a  number  of 
Protestants  there.  And  when  they  went  to  inquire  about  the  village  they  found 
that  this  company  of  believers  grew  out  of  a  school,  and  that  the  school  was 
started  and  taught  by  this  Christian  girl  from  the  Constantinople  Home,  who 
was  lost  sight  of,  and  who  had  conducted  it  without  aid  from,  or  the  knowledge 
of,  any  one.  So  everywhere  those  who  are  taught  become  teachers.  Thirty- 
eight  Girls'  Boarding  Schools  are  under  the  care  of  the  American  Board,  and 
in  them  seventeen  hundred  young  women  are  preparing  for  usefulness,  either 
in  Christian  homes  or  as  teachers.  When  the  Girls'  School  at  Erzroom,  rep- 
resented below,  was  first  opened  several  years  ago,  it  was  thought  a  shame 


MISSION    SCHOOL   AT    ERZROOM. 

for  large  girls  to  go  to  school.  But  a  great  change  has  already  taken  place,, 
and  all  through  Eastern  Turkey,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  the 
people  are  asking  for  schools.  Nearly  twenty-seven  thousand  persons,  young 
and  old,  are  under  instruction  in  Africa,  Turkey,  India,  China,  Japan,  and 
Micronesia,  in  connection  with  the  missions  of  the  American  Board. 

TRAINING   SEMINARIES. 

What  is  most  needed  to  bring  the  heathen  to  Christ,  next  to  God's  Holy 
Spirit,  is  native  preachers  of  the  Gospel.    The  first  care  of  our  missionaries  is 


Mission  Schools. 


39' 


to  secure  and  instruct  young  men  of  promise.     This  is  done  in  station   classes 
and  training  schools  ;    then  must  follow  colleges  and  theological  seminaries. 


More  than  fifty  institutions  of  this  kind  are  maintained  by  the  Board,  with  over 
two  thousand  pupils.  Not  all  these  pupils,  but  a  large  portion  of  them,  will 
become  preachers  to  their  countrymen. 


WORK   FOR  ALL. 

SEVENTY  years  ago  there  were  very  few  Sunday-schools  in  the  world,  but  had 
there  been  as  many  as  there  are  now,  and  had  they  desired  to  do  something 
towards  teaching  the  gospel  of  Jesus  to  the  children  of  Turkey,  or  India,  or 
China,  or  Africa,  they  could  not  have  done  so.  The  way  was  not  open  to  carry  to 
these  nations  any  Christian  message.  But  there  has  been  a  marvelous  change 
within  seventy  years.  Now  any  Sabbath-school,  or  mission-circle,  or  any  indi- 
vidual, wishing  to  do  some  Christian  work  in  almost  any  part  of  the  world,  has 
the  opportunity.  For  instance,  if  any  Sunday-school  would  like  to  maintain  a 
Christian  school  teacher  in  Turkey,  it  has  only  to  send  its  money  to  the  Treas- 
urer of  the  American  Board  in  Boston,  and  select  from  the  list  of  not  less  than 
a  hundred  schools  whichever  it  may  please.  The  cost  of  each  school  is  from  $15 
to  $48.  Some  schools  may  prefer  to  support  a  native  preacher,  or  a  theological 
student  in  India  or  Ceylon  or  China.  This  can  be  done  at  a  cost  of  from  $40 
to  $100.  Others  may  like  a  $20  share  in  meeting  the  running  expenses  of  the 
"  Morning  Star,"  as  she  sails  for  her  blessed  Christian  work  among  the  islands 
of  Micronesia.  So  you  may  work  in  just  what  part  of  the  world  you  will, 
either  by  supporting  a  native  preacher,  or  Bible  reader,  or  a  teacher  of  a  Chris- 
tian school,  or  a  scholar,  or  in  keeping  your  ship  moving  on  her  errand  of 
mercy.  Will  not  each  Sunday-school  not  now  engaged  in  some  special  mis- 
sionary work,  select  some  country  and  some  form  of  work  to  which  it  will 
give  its  missionary  offerings,  and  for  which  it  will  specially  pray,  and  from  which 
it  may  hear  occasionally  in  these  pages  ? 

"WHAT   THE   PENNIES   DO." 

CHILDREN,  did  you  ever  see  a  house  moved  ?  What  makes  it  go  ?  Some  of 
you  say,  horses,  the  rope,  the  men.  Yes ;  all  these  are  needed  ;  but  a  horse 
has  n't  feet  or  wheels,  and  if  you  fastened  a  horse  with  a  rope  to  a  house  with- 
out wheels,  do  you  think  it  would  stir  ?  Ah  !  it  is  rollers  that  are  wanted,  is  it  ? 
And  have  you  noticed  how  often  these  rollers  need  changing  ?  They  roll 
round  and  round  and  round  till  they  roll  out  behind,  and  the  men  have  to 
keep  putting  fresh  ones  under  in  front.  That  is  just  like  the  missionary  so- 
ciety :  prayer,  God's  Spirit,  missionaries,  secretaries,  and  a  treasurer,  are  all 
necessary,  but  the  great  society  rolls  on  pennies.  You  children  drop  them  into 
the  box,  and  the  officers  of  the  missionary  society  get  hold  of  them,  and  they 
put  them  under  the  society's  work  ;  then  there  is  a  mighty  pull,  and  the  work 
rolls  along.  And  the  pennies  roll  round  and  round  till  they  roll  out  again,  and 
into  somebody's  pocket.  So  unless  you  keep  putting  pennies  under  in  front, 
down  comes  the  house,  and  it  will  not  stir  at  all.  But  I  saw  the  other  day  a 
wooden  house  rolling  up  the  street,  and  it  did  not  have  any  one  tending  the 
rollers.  It  had  huge  wooden  wheels  under  it.  And  they  rolled  round  and 
round  and  round,  and  did  not  roll  away,  because  they  were  fastened  in  their 
place.  I  think  that  is  like  the  endowment  some  of  you  have  helped  to  raise  for 
Armenia  College,  and  for  some  other  good  purposes.  But  few  such  endowments 
are  to  be  found,  therefore  be  sure  you  send  your  pennies  to  be  wheels  under  the 
great  mission  cause,  with  a  prayer  that  they  roll  into  the  right  place  and  help 
move  the  cause  along  right  grandly.  —  Rev.  C.  T.  Collins. 


The  Literature  of  Home  Missions 

Great    'Books  for    the   Libraries 
of  Christian    Men    and   Women 

0  0  0  0  0 

The  Transformation  of  Hawaii.     By  Belle  M.  Brain           .        .        .  $1.00 

Leavening  the  Nation.     By  Dr.  J.  B.  Clark 1.25 

The  Story  of  Marcus  Whitman.    By  Rev.  G.  H.  Craighead,  D.D.  1.50 
Old  Glory  and  the  Gospel  in  the  Philippines. 

By  A.  B.  Condict,  M.D.  .75 

BlacK  Rock.     By  Ralph  Connor .  1.25 

Sky  Pilot.     By  Ralph  Connor 1.25 

Our  Life  Among  the  Iroquois  Indians.   By  Mrs.  Harriet  S.  Casweil  1.50 

Presbyterian  Home  Missions.     By  Dr.  S.  H.  Doyle      ;  1.00 

A  Chinese  Quaker.     By  Nellie  Blessing  Eyster 1.50 

By  Order  of  the  Prophet.     By  Alfred  Henry 1.50 

Ginsey  Krider.     By  Hulda  Herrick 1.50 

Alaska.     By  Sheldon  Jackson .  1.50 

Marcus  Whitman  and  the  Early  Days  of  Oregon, 

By  William  A.  Mowry      1.50 
How  Marcus  Whitman  Saved  Oregon.     By  Oliver  W.  Nickson      .      1.50 

Amid  Greenland's  Snows.     By  Jessie  Page 75 

The  Minute=Man  on  the  Frontier.     By  W.  G.  Puddefoot    .         .         .      1.25 

Lovey  Mary.     By  Alice  Hegan  Rice 1.00 

Battle  With  the  Slum.     By  Jacob  Riis 2.00 

Winning  of  the  West.     By  Theodore  Koosevelt 2.50 

Janet  Ward.     By  Margaret  Sangster 1.50 

The  Americanization  of  the  World.     By  W.  T.  Stead        .         .        .      1.00 

Expansion.     By  Josiah  Strong 50 

Our  Country.     By  Josiah  Strong  60 

The  New  E,ra.     By  Josiah  Strong 30 

Twentieth  Century  City.     By  Josiah  Strong 50 

The  Hand  of  God  in  American  History. 

By  Robert  Ellis  Thompson  1.00 

Up  from  Slavery.     By  Booker  T.  Washington        .         .  .        .  1.50 

Lights  and  Shadows  of  a  Long  Episcopate.     By  Bishop  Whipple  2.50 

Pioneers  and  Founders  in  the  Mission  Field.     By  C.  M.  Yonge     .  1.75 

Apostle  of  the  North.     By  E,gerton  R.  Young 1.25 

By  Canoe  and  Dog  Train.    By  E,gerton  R.  Young         ....  1.25 

On  the  Indian  Trail.     By  E,gerton  R.  Young 1.25 

00000 

Any  of  the  foregoing  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price 

00000 

Address 

THE  HOME  MISSIONARY 

287  Fourth  Avenue  •  New  York  City 


Miss  Belle  M.  Brain,  whose  books  on 
"Missionary  Fires"  and  "Missionary  Pro- 
grammes," are  known  to  many  of  our  read- 
~ers,  contributes  a  suggestive  artichTtcTthe 
March  number  of  "The  Missionary  Review 
of  the  World,"  on  "The  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Library;  How  to  get  it  and  how  to  use 
it.  Miss  Brain  writes  interestingly  on  how 
to  secure  a  library,  the  kinds  of  books  to 
buy,  and  how  to  use  the  library.  The  ar- 
ticle closes  with  a  suggestive  list  of  fifty 
volumes  on  "Methods  of  Work,"  "Histories 
of  Missions,"  "Biography,"  "Foreign  Lands 
and  People,  '  "Narratives  of  Missionary 
Work,"  and  "Missionary  Fiction."  A  copy 
of  this  issue  of  "The  Missionary  Review" 
will  prove  a  valuable  acquisition  to  every 
Chairman  of  Young  People's  Missionary 
committee.  It  is  published  by  the  Funk  & 
Wagnalls  Co.,  New  York,  at  25  cents  a  copy 


I 


University  of  California  Library 
Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


i   S3 


EC'D 

APR131MO 
JUN  811999 


I 

1       jUt 24«99    ^ 
QLOCT062003- 


. 


^.--y  %  i'Vir'j ./  -vJ. 


